adj
awful
AW-fuul
adj
1
Very bad or unpleasant.
"The weather was awful all weekend."
"I feel awful about forgetting her birthday."
adv
1
informal: Very; extremely.
"It's awful cold out there tonight."
How to Use Awful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishVery bad, or (informally) used to mean "extremely".
When to use it
Using "awful" as an intensifier ("awful cold") is informal/dialectal — use "awfully" in more careful speech.
Word Forms
awfuller comparative, more awful comparative, awfullest superlative, most awful superlative
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The weather was _____ all weekend.
Etymology
From Middle English aweful, "awe-inspiring" (awe + -ful). The modern negative sense developed as a shift from "awe-inspiring" to simply "very bad".