awesome

awesome — adjective

1. very good, exciting, or enjoyable — used in casual speech to praise something or

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

very good, exciting, or enjoyable — used in casual speech to praise something or to react with happy approval, like saying a movie, party, or new phone is great.

Example

Tariq's birthday party was awesome — we danced all night and ate way too much cake.

predicative use after 'be' for casual praise

Mateo found an awesome coffee shop right next to his new office.

attributive: awesome + concrete noun (place, food, gadget)

Common collocations
  • totally awesome
  • pretty awesome
  • absolutely awesome
  • looks awesome
  • sounds awesome
Synonyms
  • amazing

    very similar; slightly more about surprise

  • fantastic

    informal praise, common in British English too

  • great

    neutral and works in both casual and semi-formal speech

Antonyms
  • terrible

    casual opposite expressing strong dislike

  • awful

    informal, very negative

Usage Note

Very common in spoken American English and casual messages, but avoid in formal writing or academic contexts — use 'excellent' or 'outstanding' there. Often appears alone as a one-word reply ('Awesome!') showing enthusiasm.

Common Mistakes

The report contains awesome data on sales.' (in a business email).
The report contains excellent data on sales.
'awesome' sounds too casual for formal writing.

2. so impressive, powerful, or vast that it makes a person feel deep wonder, respec

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

so impressive, powerful, or vast that it makes a person feel deep wonder, respect, or even a little fear — for example, a thundering waterfall, a king's authority, or the night sky over the desert.

Example

From the helicopter, Diego stared down at the awesome power of the volcano below.

predicative-style use modifying an abstract noun (power, sight, beauty)

The cathedral's tall stone pillars gave the visitors an awesome sense of silence.

noun + awesome + abstract noun (sense, feeling)

Common collocations
  • awesome power
  • awesome responsibility
  • awesome sight
  • awesome beauty
  • awesome task
Synonyms
  • breathtaking

    stresses the visual or emotional shock; less about fear

  • majestic

    implies dignity and grandeur, often of nature or buildings

  • formidable

    leans toward causing fear or seeming hard to defeat

Antonyms

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this formal use carries a note of fear, awe, or seriousness, and usually modifies abstract nouns (power, beauty, responsibility, sight). Sense 1 is a casual praise word and almost never modifies these abstract nouns.

Common Mistakes

I had an awesome pizza for lunch.' (when meaning the formal sense).
The view from the mountain top was awesome.
this sense fits grand or solemn things, not everyday food or fun.

Word family

  • awe
    nounC1
  • awesomely
    adverb
  • awesomeness
    noun
  • awestruck
    adjectiveC2
  • awe-inspiring
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four are everyday words for praising something positive, but they differ in tone and strength. 'Awesome' is the most casual and most American — it shows real excitement and is common in speech and texting, but feels too informal for business writing. 'Amazing' adds a hint of surprise, as if the speaker did not expect something so good ('The food here is amazing!'). 'Fantastic' is enthusiastic praise that works on both sides of the Atlantic and fits semi-formal contexts ('We had a fantastic time in Kyoto'). 'Great' is the safest, most neutral choice — quieter in feeling, but appropriate in almost any register, from a friendly chat to a polite email ('That's a great idea, thank you').

awesome ↗amazing ↗fantastic ↗great ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • look awesome
  • sound awesome
  • be awesome at

Prepositions

  • at (be awesome at something)

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEarly Modern EnglishModern English

'Awesome' was built in late-16th-century English by joining the noun 'awe' (a deep mix of wonder and fear, borrowed from Old Norse 'agi' meaning fright) with the suffix '-some', which forms adjectives meaning 'full of' (as in 'troublesome' or 'handsome'). For most of its history it kept the strong meaning 'inspiring awe'. The casual sense 'excellent' grew up in American English in the 1960s and 1970s, became hugely popular in 1980s youth speech, and has stayed common ever since.