Why is awesome good and awful bad

Who painted the house that awful color? The mountains have an awful majesty. Adverb We haven't heard from him in an awful long time. You've come an awful long way. Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Everything else was awful , but this was something else—my once-in-a-lifetime gift.

Tice, Star Tribune , 20 Feb. First Known Use of awful Adjective 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3 Adverb , in the meaning defined above. Learn More About awful. Time Traveler for awful The first known use of awful was in the 14th century See more words from the same century.

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. On 'Awesome' On 'Awesome' An extraordinary, terrific word. Phrases Related to awful an awful lot an awful lot of.

Style: MLA. More Definitions for awful. English Language Learners Definition of awful Entry 1 of 2. However, note that awful is usually used as an adverb in American English. Awful usually has a negative meaning, whereas awesome has a positive meaning. This is the main difference between awful and awesome. She is currently reading for a Masters degree in English. Her areas of interests include literature, language, linguistics and also food. Figure 2: Awful Smell.

Figure 2: Awesome Scenery. View all posts. I have heard bad used in the sense of really good, or hot. That's really bad could mean it is really awsome , if said with the right intonation by certain people.

I could have even heard awful used the same way, but it would have been in a really specific context, in reference to a joke, for example, with the meaning that the joke was really good. This would be slang use, though. I'm very ashamed because I have started this interesting discussion on wrong basis. The word I probably should have used is awesome. I found the word on Youtube this evening.

I beg you pardon! Also, I believe in a spoken form, mostly by younger people, it is also used in this very form, "awful", as an adverb, not adjective; as in "awful bad" and, oh My God, "Awful good! I think there is that non-standard spoken form where adjectives used as adverbs, like "real good" instead of "really good" etc.

Last edited: Apr 27, Dsb New Member English. Svelu said:. You're awful bright, you're awful smart I must admit you broke my heart The awful truth is really sad I must admit I was awful bad. English - British Southern England. Then there was the king who told the architect that his new cathedral was awful, pompous and artificial.

It began before most of the people reading this were born. The word has continued to broaden itself, and now can be found used as a general purpose exclamation of approval. In doing so, it is following in the footsteps of another very similar word: awful.

Awful had a very similar meaning as awesome for much of our history: inspiring dread.