awe

1 of 2

noun

ˈȯ 

1

: an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime

stood in awe of the king

regard nature's wonders with awe

2

archaic

a

: dread, terror

b

: the power to inspire dread

awe

2 of 2

verb

awed; awing; awes

transitive verb

: to inspire or fill with awe

We were awed by the beauty of the mountains.

Synonyms

Noun

• admiration
• amazement
• astonishment
• wonder
• wonderment

Examples of awe in a Sentence

Noun

Clem gasped in awe. Inches from the shelf stood a column of scrimshaw the likes of which he'd never seen. —Al Michaud, Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2005

I expected to be impressed by Machu Picchu, but now that we're here, standing in the clouds atop the world, I'm more than impressed—I'm in awe. Machu Picchu is actually better than photographs suggest, more a timeless way station than archaeological ruin. —Patrick J. Kelly, Traveler, May/June 2005

Organs began to appear in American churches early in the eighteenth century. Their glorious tones promised to harmonize cacophonous congregational singers and to inspire worshippers with a reverential sense of awe, bestirring them to moral improvement. —Jonathan D. Sarna, American Judaism, 2004

It was a sight that filled me with awe and reverence.

a person who inspires feelings of awe in others

Verb

Most relative neophytes are so awed by having been accepted into the priesthood of specialty medicine and so reluctant to cause themselves trouble in the institutions in which they will work for the coming decades that they would be hesitant to risk offending their seniors. —Sherwin B. Nuland, New York Review of Books, 18 July 2002

But even non-birders cannot help but be awed by the significance of the habitat. All around us creatures dart and dive; birds attracted by fish and water, birds drawn by seeds and chaff. Birds with silly names: loons, boobies, cuckoos, goatsuckers. —Clara Jeffery, Harper's, November 2002

Her style both awes and perplexes me.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Woolsey is in awe of the fact that Parton’s voice once filled the space now occupied by his office. —Cortney Fries, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2025

Instead, others gave lengthy answers, sounding like teammates who are rightly in awe of Ovechkin’s pursuit of the record as the superstar finishes his age-39 season trying to help the Capitals win their second Stanley Cup after being swept last spring by the Rangers in the first round. —Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Verb

After two decades as a therapist but just two years as a psilocybin facilitator, Ms. Warden has been awed by the benefits that psychedelic therapy has brought to her patients. —Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2024

The shock and awe the WWE Royal Rumble can provide was on full display Saturday night as Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair won their respective matches to earn title shots at WrestleMania. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English aw, awe, ahe "terror, dread, extreme reverence, veneration, something to be feared, danger," borrowed from Old Norse agi, accusative aga "terror, uproar," n-stem derivative from a Germanic base *ag- seen in the s-stem noun *agaz (whence Old English ege "fear, terror" [with assimilation to i-stems], Gothic agis) and a verbal derivative *agisōjan- (whence Old High German egisōn "to fear," Middle Dutch eisen) and a corresponding noun derivative *agisan- (whence Old English egesa, egsa "fear, terror," Old Saxon egiso, Old High German agiso, egiso); Germanic *agaz perhaps going back to Indo-European *h₂eg^h-os, whence also Greek áchos "pain, distress"

Note: Germanic also has a verb *agan-, exemplified by the Gothic Class VI preterite-present ogan "to fear" (from a presumed reduplicated perfect) and the adjective unagands "fearless"; the verb has been compared with Old Irish adˑágadar "(s/he) frightens," and (despite the semantic gap) Greek áchnymai, achnýnai "to grieve, lament." See also etymology and note at ail entry 1.

Verb

Middle English awen "to terrify, overawe," derivative of awe "terror, awe entry 1"

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for awe

• aah
• ah
• ahh
• aw
• bah
• blah
• bra
• caw
• claw
• craw
• daw
• draw

Kids Definition

awe

1 of 2 noun

ˈȯ 

: a feeling of mixed fear, respect, and wonder

awe

2 of 2 verb

awed; awing

: to fill with awe