[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/awful.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / awful

[← A](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/A/)

# awful

«awful» in Mova's school dictionary: **very bad or unpleasant: awful weather, an awful smell** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (awful, more awful, most awful); adverb (informal, US: awful nice)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Awful means very bad or unpleasant: awful weather, an awful smell. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#m1)

2) If you feel awful, you feel ill or very unhappy or guilty. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#m2)

3) (informal) «An awful lot» means a very large amount. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#m3)

4) In old writing, awful meant «full of awe», very impressive and frightening. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday talk and stories it is a strong word for bad experiences. In writing lessons, teachers may ask pupils to use more exact words than «awful» (terrible, disgusting, dreadful, horrid). Phrases: «an awful lot», «feel awful», «look awful», «that's awful».

### examples

- The weather was awful, so we stayed inside. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x1)
- This medicine tastes awful. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x2)
- I feel awful — I think I have a cold. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x3)
- I felt awful about breaking her pencil. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x4)
- There is an awful lot of homework this week. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x5)
- What an awful smell! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x6)
- The traffic was awful on the way to school. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x7)
- That's awful news; I'm sorry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/#x8)

### note

One l at the end: awful (not «awfull»). Adverb: awfully (very: «awfully kind»). In US speech «awful» can mean «very» («awful big»), but in writing use «awfully» or «very». The old meaning connects to «awe» and «awesome», which now means great — so «awful» and «awesome» have become opposites.

### In the corpora

- [At bedtime Mum explains he had an awful week at work, and Dad comes up and says, "Sorry, mate.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/36-big-feelings-in-big-people/4/)
- [What made you tell that awful fib to your wife?»](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/96-justso-butterfly-1-the-boast/26/)
- [Lily's hair got a knot, she cried, and Tom felt awful all afternoon.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/387-ponytail-tugging-crushes-shown-clumsily/3/)
- [To Sam it wasn't: he was frightened and cried, and Jake felt awful and said sorry properly.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/390-showing-off/14/)
- [Marcus felt awful when he found out.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/423-older-siblings-and-youtube-gameplay/3/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «awful» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/awful/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.