Awful - Definition

adv 1: used as intensifiers; "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful
sorry" [syn: terribly, awfully, awful,
frightfully]
adj 1: exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste";
"abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful
manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible
handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the
room" [syn: atrocious, abominable, awful,
dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable]
2: causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful
risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that
London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster";
"polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a
dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions
shook the city"; "a terrible curse" [syn: awful, dire,
direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful,
fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific,
terrible]
3: offensive or even (of persons) malicious; "in a nasty mood";
"a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a
nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my
funeral?"- Ezra Pound [syn: nasty, awful] [ant: nice]
4: inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence;
"awed by the silence"; "awful worshippers with bowed heads"
[syn: awed, awful]
5: extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact; "in a
frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money" [syn:
frightful, terrible, awful, tremendous]
6: inspiring awe or admiration or wonder; "New York is an
amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight";
"the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose
gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul
beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so
vast, so high, so silent" [syn: amazing, awe-inspiring,
awesome, awful, awing]