awesome adj : inspiring awe or admiration or wonder; "New York is an amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight"; "the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent" [syn: amazing, awe-inspiring, awful, awing]

English

Etymology

“awe” + “-some”

Pronunciation

• /ˈɔːsəm/, /"O:s@m/

Adjective

1. In the context of "somewhat|dated|or|formal": Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.

   The waterfall in the middle of the rainforest was an awesome sight.

   The tsunami was awesome in its destructive power.

2. Excellent, exciting, remarkable.

   That was awesome!, That's awesome!!

   Awesome, dude!

Usage notes

The oldest meaning of "awesome" is "something which inspires awe", but the word is also a common slang expression in English. As the original meaning of awesome has become somewhat antiquated in general use, the term awe-inspiring is now generally used for the same meaning.

Derived terms

• awesomely
• awesomeness
• awesomest

Related terms

• awe-inspiring
• awful

See also

• terrific
• way cool
• cruel
• sweet

Translations

Awesome may refer to:

Video games:

• Awesome (video game), a sci-fi action game for Amiga and Atari
• Awesome Possum, a video game for Sega Mega Drive and Genesis

Comics:

• Awesome Comics, an American comic book studio
• Awesome Threesome, a group of supervillains from DC comics
• Awesome Android, comic book character from Marvel comics

Sports:

• Mike Awesome, the stage name of American professional wrestler Mike Alfonso
• Awesome Again, a Canadian Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse
• Awesome Gem, thoroughbred racehorse sired by Awesome Again

TV and video:

• Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That!, a concert film by the Beastie Boys
• Awesome Adventures, an educational television series on travel
• Totally Awesome, a 2006 television movie produced by VH1
• Awesome-O, an episode of the eighth season of South Park

'''Other uses:

• "Awesome God", a Christian worship song by Rich Mullins
• Awesome Library, a website which provides information resources for education
• Awesome (window manager), a tilling window manager based on dwm

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