Tra từ awful - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

awful adjective, adverb BrE [ˈɔːfl] NAmE [ˈɔːfl]
adjective
1. (informal)very bad or unpleasant
• That's an awful colour.
• ‘They didn't even offer to pay.’ ‘Oh that's awful.’
•It's awful, isn't it?
•The weather last summer was awful.
•I feel awful about forgetting her birthday.
•to look/feel awful (= to look/feel ill)
•There's an awful smell in here.
•The awful thing is, it was my fault.
2. (informal)used to emphasize sth, especially that there is a large amount or too much of sth
• It's going to cost an awful lot of money.
• There's not an awful lot of room.
•I feel an awful lot better than I did yesterday.
• (BrE)I had an awful job persuading him to come (= it was very difficult).
3. very shocking
Syn: ↑terrible
•the awful horrors of war

Word Origin:
Old English (see ↑awe, ↑-ful).

Thesaurus:
awful adj.
1. (especially spoken)
•The weather was awful.
terrible • • bad • • foul • • revolting • • nasty • • grim • |especially spoken horrible • • disgusting • |especially BrE, especially spoken dreadful • |informal vile • • horrendous • • lousy • • ghastly • |written wretched •
a/an awful/terrible/bad/nasty/horrible/dreadful thought/feeling
a/an awful/terrible/horrible/dreadful noise/shock
awful/terrible/bad/foul/nasty/grim/horrible/dreadful/vile/lousy/ghastly/wretched weather
a/an awful/terrible/bad/foul/revolting/nasty/horrible/disgusting/vile smell
2. only before noun (informal, especially spoken)
•The whole thing has been an awful nuisance.
terrible •
an awful/a terrible mistake/mess/nuisance/disappointment
an awful/a terrible fool/snob
3.
•the awful horrors of war
terrible • • horrible • • dreadful • • horrific • • horrifying • • gruesome • |BrE formal, AmE appalling •
Opp: great
a/an awful/terrible/horrible/dreadful/horrific/horrifying/gruesome/appalling scene/sight
a/an awful/terrible/horrible/dreadful/horrific/horrifying/appalling accident/incident
awful/terrible/horrible/dreadful/horrific/appalling pain/suffering
Awful, terrible or appalling? Awful is more often used to describe events or experiences. In British English appalling is used to describe accidents, crimes and their results, and also bad social conditions. You can use terrible for all of these, although appalling is stronger.

Synonyms:
terrible
awful • horrible • dreadful • vile • horrendous
These words all describe sth that is very unpleasant.
terrible • very bad or unpleasant; making you feel unhappy, frightened, upset, ill, guilty or disapproving: ▪ What terrible news! ◇ ▪ That's a terrible thing to say!
awful • (rather informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe sth that you do not like or that makes you feel depressed, ill, guilty or disapproving: ▪ That's an awful colour. ◇ ▪ The weather last summer was awful.
horrible • (rather informal) very unpleasant; used to describe sth that you do not like: ▪ The coffee tasted horrible.
dreadful • (rather informal, especially BrE) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe sth that you do not like or that you disapprove of: ▪ What dreadful weather!
vile • (informal) extremely bad or unpleasant: ▪ There was a vile smell coming from the room. ◇ ▪ He was in a vile mood.
horrendous • (rather informal) extremely unpleasant and unacceptable: ▪ The traffic around the city was horrendous.
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful for sb
a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile thing
a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/vile smell
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile/horrendous conditions
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile weather
terrible/awful/dreadful news

Example Bank:
•She's the most awful snob.
•The fish tasted awful.
•a truly awful book
•‘They didn't even offer to pay.’ ‘Oh that's awful.’
•He had never known the awful horrors of war.
•I feel awful— maybe it was something I ate.
•I woke from the most awful nightmare.
•It was only later that we learned the awful truth.
•It's going to cost an awful lot of money.
•That's an awful colour.
•The whole thing has been an awful nuisance.
•There's not an awful lot of room.
Derived Word: ↑awfulness

adverb (informal, especially NAmE)
very; extremely
• Clint is awful smart.

Word Origin:
[awful awfulness] Old English (see ↑awe, ↑-ful).