awfulとは

意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From Middle English agheful, awfull, auful, aȝefull, equivalent to awe +‎ -ful. Compare 古期英語 eġeful, eġefull (“terrifying; awful”).

発音

• (英国発音) IPA^(key): /ˈɔːfʊl/, /ˈɔːfəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɔfəl/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɑfəl/
• 韻: -ɔːfʊl
• Homophone: offal (some accents)

形容詞

awful (comparative awfuller または more awful, superlative awfullest または most awful)

1. Very bad.

   My socks smell awful.

   We saw such an awful film last night that we left the theater before the end.

2. Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.

   an awful bonnet

   I have learnt an awful amount today.

3. (now dated) Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible.
   • 1839, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Schalken the Painter

     There was an air of gravity and importance about the garb of the person, and something indescribably odd, I might say awful, in the perfect, stonelike stillness of the figure, that effectually checked the testy comment which had at once risen to the lips of the irritated artist.

4. (now まれに) Inspiring awe; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 56, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes, […], book I, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:

     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) […].

5. (now まれに) Struck or filled with awe.
6. (obsolete) Terror-stricken.
7. Worshipful; reverential; law-abiding.

同意語

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

派生語

• awfulness
• awfully

副詞

awful (not comparable)

1. Awfully; dreadfully; terribly.
   • 1933 January 21, The Sydney Sportsman, page 1:

     The race was run, and the dog ran "awful".

2. (colloquial, US, Canada) Very, extremely.

   That's an awful big house.

   She seemed awful nice when I met her yesterday.

   He was blubbering away something awful.

参考

• awfully

Further reading

• awful in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• awful in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911