awfully

awfully — adverb

1. used to make a description much stronger, often with extra feeling in what is sa

1.adverbB2
Definition

used to make a description much stronger, often with extra feeling in what is said.

Example

The soup was awfully hot, so Mina waited before taking a sip.

be awfully + adjective

Grandpa looked awfully tired after walking home in the heavy rain.

awfully + adjective with personal feeling

Common collocations
  • awfully hot
  • awfully tired
  • awfully fast
  • awfully sorry
  • awfully quickly
Synonyms
  • very

    the most neutral everyday intensifier

  • really

    common in speech and often slightly more conversational

  • extremely

    stronger and often a little more formal

  • terribly

    another emotional intensifier, often with a slightly old-fashioned tone

Antonyms
  • slightly

    shows a small degree, not a strong one

  • somewhat

    weaker and more moderate in tone

Grammar Patterns

awfully + adjective

awfully + adverb

be awfully + adjective

Usage Note

Usually placed directly before the adjective or adverb it strengthens, as in 'awfully kind' or 'awfully slowly'. Distinguish from sense 2 BADLY, which describes how something is done or how an event goes.

Common Mistakes

It was awfully a long meeting.
It was an awfully long meeting.
awfully should sit next to the adjective it strengthens.
Nina is awfully teacher.
Nina is an awfully good teacher.
this sense cannot modify a noun by itself.

2. in a very bad or unpleasant way.

2.adverbB2
Definition

in a very bad or unpleasant way.

Example

The team played awfully and lost three easy points before halftime.

verb + awfully for poor performance

Luca sang awfully at practice, so the band stopped early.

awfully after an action verb

Common collocations
  • play awfully
  • sing awfully
  • handle awfully
  • end awfully
Synonyms
  • badly

    the plain everyday choice

  • poorly

    slightly softer in tone than badly

  • terribly

    strong and emotional, often close in force to awfully

Antonyms
  • well

    shows that the action is done successfully

  • smoothly

    stresses that something happens without problems

Grammar Patterns

verb + awfully

play awfully

end awfully

Usage Note

Most often follows action verbs such as play, sing, or handle. Distinguish from sense 1 GREATLY, where awfully simply strengthens an adjective or another adverb.

Common Mistakes

The soup tasted awfully after the milk went bad.
The soup tasted awful after the milk went bad.
after linking verbs like taste, use the adjective awful, not the adverb awfully.
The singer was awfully on stage.
The singer sang awfully on stage.
this sense usually modifies an action, not be.

Word family

  • awe
    nounC1
  • awful
    adjectiveB1
  • awfulness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

'Awfully' in sense 1 works as an intensifier, much like 'very' or 'really', but it usually sounds more expressive and personal. 'Very' is the safest neutral choice in almost any context. 'Really' is common in conversation and can sound a little more informal or emotional. 'Extremely' is stronger and often suits more careful or formal speech. 'Terribly' is close to 'awfully' and can also add feeling, though it sometimes has a more old-fashioned flavor. Use 'awfully' when you want warmth, surprise, apology, or emphasis rather than plain degree. For example, 'I am awfully sorry' sounds more personal than 'I am very sorry', while 'extremely important' sounds more formal than 'awfully important'.

awfully ↗very ↗really ↗extremely ↗terribly ↗

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishModern English

Awfully was formed by adding the adverb ending '-ly' to 'awful'. Earlier English used 'awful' for something that filled people with awe or fear. Over time, 'awful' developed the modern sense 'very bad', and 'awfully' followed both paths: it could mean 'badly', and later it also became a strong way to say 'very'.