Advertisement
English Lexicon

Awfulness

/ˈɔːf.fəl.nəs/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #25400 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The quality or state of being extremely bad, unpleasant, or shocking.

    "She was struck by the sheer awfulness of the news report."
  2. 2

    The character of inspiring dread, awe, or profound reverence.

    "The ancient rituals were performed with a sense of solemn awfulness."
Advertisement

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the adjective 'awful', combining Old Norse 'agi' (dread, awe) with Proto-Germanic roots, affixed with the Old English suffix '-ful' and abstract nominal suffix '-ness'. Originally denoting the quality of inspiring profound reverence or fear, the term shifted over centuries to predominantly signify extreme unpleasantness, poor quality, or dreadfulness.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Awfulness"?

Advertisement
Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Awfulness"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Awfulness" Synonym Map
Advertisement