awful
/ˈɑfəl/
adjectiveadverb
Core
1.adj.exceptionally bad or displeasing
“atrocious taste”
2.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
3.adj.offensive or even (of persons) malicious
“in a nasty mood”
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awful and awfully share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. awful means “exceptionally bad or displeasing”. awfully means “used as intensifiers”. awful is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɑfəl/
1.adj.exceptionally bad or displeasing
“atrocious taste”
2.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
3.adj.offensive or even (of persons) malicious
“in a nasty mood”
/ˈɑfli/
1.adv.used as intensifiers
“terribly interesting”
2.adv.of a dreadful kind
“there was a dreadfully bloody accident on the road this morning”
3.adv.in a terrible manner
“she sings terribly”
| awful | awfully | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑfəl/ | /ˈɑfli/ |
| Said | AH-fuhl | AH-flee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adverb |
| Senses | 7 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | atrocious, abominable, dreadful | terribly, awful, frightfully |
Full entry for awful · Full entry for awfully · More comparisons