AWFUL


Meaning of AWFUL in English

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.

If you say that someone or something is ~, you dislike that person or thing or you think that they are not very good.

We met and I thought he was ~...

...an ~ smell of paint...

Even if the weather’s ~ there’s lots to do...

Jeans look ~ on me.

= dreadful

? wonderful

ADJ

~ness

The programme’s ~ness has ensured it is talked about.

N-UNCOUNT

2.

If you say that something is ~, you mean that it is extremely unpleasant, shocking, or bad.

Her injuries were massive. It was ~...

Some of their offences are so ~ they would chill the blood.

= horrific

ADJ

3.

If you look or feel ~, you look or feel ill.

I hardly slept at all and felt pretty ~...

= terrible

ADJ: v-link ADJ

4.

You can use ~ with noun groups that refer to an amount in order to emphasize how large that amount is.

I’ve got an ~ lot of work to do.

= tremendous

ADJ: ADJ n emphasis

~ly

Would you mind ~ly waiting a bit, I’ll be back right away.

= terribly

ADV: usu ADV adj/adv

5.

You can use ~ with adjectives that describe a quality in order to emphasize that particular quality. (AM INFORMAL)

Gosh, you’re ~ pretty...

= very

ADV: ADV adj emphasis

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .