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Is the word awesome overused?
Many object to the use of awesome to describe something (such as a sandwich) that does not literally elicit feelings of awe. Yet the same people who insist that awesome should be used only of weighty subjects (Niagara Falls, man landing on the moon) will happily use the word awful in reference to something (such as a mess) that falls distinctly short of being “full of awe.” This weakened sense was once considered improper—in fact, complaints about it persisted through the early decades of the 20th century.
The change in meaning that awesome is undergoing may be more recent than that of awful, but both words are treading the same path. For evidence that such change is normal, we need look no further than awe, which originally meant “terror” and now carries the weaker sense “wonder.”
Examples of awesome in a Sentence
Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2025
Getting an awesome birthday present for Mom never seemed so easy.
—Edin Deljkic, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Now, Homan’s administration wants to use the awesome powers of the federal law enforcement apparatus to intimidate and silence those who disagree with their policy agenda.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2025
They’re not limited to Southern California, though; for more info on possible places these awesome, ephemeral displays might appear in 2025, check out the nonprofit Theodore Payne Foundation.
—Outside Online, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awesome
Cite this Entry
“Awesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awesome. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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awesome
adjective
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