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Awesome vs Awfully - What's the difference?

awesome | awfully |

As an adjective awesome

is causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.

As a noun awesome

is the quality, state, or essence of being awesome or cool; awesomeness.

As an adverb awfully is

in a manner inspiring awe.

awesome

English

(wikipedia awesome)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.
    • The waterfall in the middle of the rainforest was an awesome sight .
    The tsunami was awesome in its destructive power.
  • (colloquial) Excellent, exciting, remarkable.
    • That was awesome !
    Awesome, dude!

    Usage notes

    The oldest meaning of "awesome" is "something which inspires awe", but the word is also a common slang expression in English, originally from America. As the original meaning of awesome'' has become somewhat antiquated in general use, the term ''awe-inspiring is now generally used for the same meaning.

    Synonyms

    * (causing awe or terror) see * (excellent) excellent, super, phenomenal, fantastic, terrific; wicked, bang-up, cool, sweet (slang or informal); chur, cher (New Zealand)

    Derived terms

    * awesomely * awesomeness * awesomest

    Related terms

    * awe-inspiring * awful

    Noun

    (-)
  • The quality, state, or essence of being or cool; awesomeness.
  • * 2011 , Gwen Hayes, Let Me Call You Sweetheart , Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (2011), ISBN 9781609284619, page 6:
    • Plus, her patent leather boots were made of awesome . They made her legs look longer and leaner.
  • * 2011 , Kevin Seccia, Punching Tom Hanks: Dropkicking Gorillas and Pummeling Zombified Ex-Presidents—A Guide to Beating Up Anything , St. Martin's Press (2011), ISBN 9780312643744, page 189:
    • Swayze, of course, is the being of pure awesome who has by now conquered all of Heaven.
  • * 2013 , Carrie Jones, Captivate , Bloomsbury (2010), ISBN 9781599903422, page 150:
    • “Your grandmother,” he mumbles into my hair as we cuddle on the couch, “is made of awesome .”
  • *

    • Synonyms

    * awesome sauce (Internet slang)

    Antonyms

    * fail (slang), weaksauce (slang)

    awfully

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a manner inspiring awe.
  • Reverently.
  • Badly, terribly.
    • She led after the swiming and cycling, but ran awfully and came in fourth.
  • (not comparable) Very; exceedingly; extremely; excessively.
  • * 1912 , , The Grim Smile of the Five Towns , Project Gutenberg eText.
    • It was wondrous. 'I'm awfully glad I came now,' his thought ran; 'I'm managing it rather well.'
  • (obsolete) Fearfully.

    • Usage notes

    * Adjectives to which "awfully" is often applied: good, hard, sad, nice, sorry, long, quiet, big, glad, familiar, well, difficult, tired, bad, hot, high, busy, pretty, small, cold, funny, expensive, fond, important, young, interesting, jolly, short, proud, clever, boring, strange, happy, lonely, stupid, strong, sick, pleased, old, hungry, afraid, silly.

    Synonyms

    * (very) very, extremely, terribly