Awful vs Extreme - What's the difference?

awful | extreme | Related terms |

Awful is a related term of extreme.

As an adjective awful

is oppressing with fear or horror; appalling, terrible.

As an adverb awful

is (colloquial) very, extremely; as, an awful big house.

As a noun extreme is

awful

English

Alternative forms

* awfull (archaic)

Adjective

(en-adj)

Oppressing with fear or horror; appalling, terrible.

Inspiring awe; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.

*, I.56:

God ought not to be commixed in our actions, but with awful reverence, and an attention full of honour and respect.

* 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , II.143:

And then she stopped, and stood as if in awe / (For sleep is awful ).

Struck or filled with awe.

(obsolete) Terror-stricken.

Worshipful; reverential; law-abiding.

Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.

an awful bonnet

I have learnt an awful amount today.

Very bad.

My socks smell awful .

Usage notes

* Nouns to which "awful" is often applied: day, truth, time, place, moment, mess, night, news, state, situation, smell, thought, person, pain, movie, consequence, crime, fate, death, tragedy, man, event, disease, story, condition, mistake, taste, picture, year, calamity, doom, film, catastrophe, secret, performance, storm, end, week, shape, choice.

Synonyms

* See also

Adverb

(-)

(colloquial) Very, extremely; as, an awful big house.

External links

* *

extreme

English

Adjective

(en-adj)

Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.

In the greatest or highest degree; intense.

* , chapter=13

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.}}

Excessive, or far beyond the norm.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03

, author=Frank Fish, George Lauder, volume=101, issue=2, page=114, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Not Just Going with the Flow , passage=An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex . The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain, as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.}}

Drastic, or of great severity.

Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.

(archaic) Ultimate, final or last.

the extreme hour of life

Synonyms

* (place) farthest, furthest, most distant, outermost, remotest * (in greatest or highest degree) greatest, highest * (excessive) excessive, too much * (drastic) drastic, severe * (sports) dangerous * (ultimate) final, last, ultimate

Antonyms

* (place) closest, nearest * (in greatest or highest degree) least * (excessive) moderate, reasonable * (drastic) moderate, reasonable

Derived terms

* extremeness

Noun

(en noun)

The greatest or utmost point, degree or condition.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.

Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.

A drastic expedient.

(mathematics) Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1'' and ''6'' in ''1:2=3:6 .

Adverb

(en adverb)

(archaic) Extremely.

* 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:

In the empty and extreme cold theatre.

Usage notes

* Formerly used to modify adjectives and sometimes adverbs, but rarely verbs.

Derived terms

* extremism * extremist * extremity * extremely * extreme ironing * extreme unction

References

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