awful
gb/ˈɔfəl/ us/ˈɔfəl/
A2
English
~ 2800
szörnyű, borzalmas, csapnivaló, pocsék, szánalmas, tragikus, szörnyen érzi magát, félelmetes
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is awful
The food at that restaurant was awful.
She had an awful headache after the long flight.
It was an awful decision that led to many problems.
The weather has been awful all week.
He made an awful mess in the kitchen.
Learner examples
This cake tastes awful.
I feel awful today.
The movie was awful.
It is awful to be late.
The soup smells awful.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'awful' with 'awesome' because they sound similar, but their meanings are opposite.
Meaning
Very bad or unpleasant
Collocations
awful smell
|awful experience
|awful mistake
|awful weather
|feel awful
Synonyms
terrible (Almost identical in meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
great (Expresses the opposite positive quality.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Very bad or not nice.
Extremely bad, unpleasant, or of very poor quality.
B1
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
feel awful [about/after something]
I feel awful about forgetting her birthday.
Szörnyen érzem magam amiatt, hogy elfelejtettem a születésnapját.
He felt awful after eating too much cake.
Szörnyen érezte magát, miután túl sok tortát evett.
She felt awful for lying to her friend.
Learner examples
I feel awful today.
Ma szörnyen érzem magam.
He feels awful about his mistake.
Szörnyen érzi magát a hibája miatt.
She feels awful after the test.
Meaning
Feeling unwell or guilty
Collocations
feel awful about
|feel awful after
|made me feel awful
Synonyms
terrible (Common synonym for feeling unwell or guilty.)
Antonyms
fine (Indicates feeling physically or emotionally okay.)
Themes
emotions
|health
Definition
Feeling sick or very sorry about something.
Feeling physically unwell or experiencing strong guilt or regret.
C1
LITERARY
3
félelmetes
B1
They stood in the awful presence of the ancient monument.
Ott álltak az ősi emlékmű félelmetes jelenlétében.
The general held an awful power over his soldiers.
A tábornok félelmetes hatalmat gyakorolt a katonái fölött.
The ceremony had an awful beauty.
Learner examples
The mountain had an awful beauty.
A hegynek félelmetes szépsége volt.
The king had an awful power.
A királynak félelmetes hatalma volt.
The storm had an awful force.
Meaning
Inspiring fear or reverence
Collocations
awful majesty
|awful silence
Synonyms
awe-inspiring (More common in modern English for this sense.)
Antonyms
ordinary (Lacking any special quality that inspires awe.)
Themes
literature
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Making people feel great respect or fear.
Inspiring awe, fear, or deep respect; often used in a solemn or literary style.
Grammar
Dictionary form
awful
IPA
GB/ˈɔfəl/
US/ˈɔfəl/
Syllables & stress
aw - ful (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (aw)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: awful
Word family
Core family
awfully
adverb B1
Related words
awfulness
noun
Expressions
an awful lot of
1/ən ˈɔfəl lˈɑt əv/
fixed phrase
informal
A very large amount of something
A very big amount of something.
Examples
- We spent an awful lot of money on repairs.
- There are an awful lot of people here today.
make someone feel awful
1/mˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn fˈil ˈɔfəl/
fixed phrase
Cause someone to feel bad or guilty
To make someone feel sick or very sorry about something.
Examples
- I didn't mean to make you feel awful about it.
- That news made him feel awful all day.
pretty awful
1/pɹˈɪti ˈɔfəl/
fixed phrase
informal
Quite bad or unpleasant
Very bad, but not the worst possible.
Examples
- The service at that place is pretty awful.
- His handwriting is pretty awful.