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 nasty share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. awful means “exceptionally bad or displeasing”. nasty means “offensive or even (of persons) malicious”. 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”
/ˈnæsti/
1.adj.offensive or even (of persons) malicious
“in a nasty mood”
2.adj.exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent
“a nasty problem”
3.adj.characterized by obscenity
“had a filthy mouth”
| awful | nasty | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑfəl/ | /ˈnæsti/ |
| Said | AH-fuhl | NA-stee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adjective |
| Senses | 7 | 4 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | atrocious, abominable, dreadful | awful |
Full entry for awful · Full entry for nasty · More comparisons