1
: exceedingly, extremely, very
—used as an intensive
an awfully long time
That's awfully nice of you.
Her name seems awfully familiar.
Technically, it's not bribery, but it's awfully close.—
Elizabeth Drew
Elizabeth Drew"I suppose you think me awfully foolish about it?"—Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde2
a
dated
: in a way that inspires awe
… the drawing room in which New York's most chosen company was somewhat awfully assembled.—Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
b
archaic
: with a feeling of awe
And timorous passed, and awfully withdrew.—Alexander Pope, translation The Odyssey of Homer
Alexander Pope, translation The Odyssey of Homer3
: in an unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable way
We were treated awfully.
The team played awfully.
… he of the red nightcap now commenced snoring awfully …—George Borrow
George BorrowExamples of awfully in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This could be described as assertive or confident clothing, all of the designer’s work achieves drama while in its exceptionally flattering fit, and which somehow still looks and feels awfully comfortable.
—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That’s an awfully bold move from Motorola, considering the foldable is powered by the same chip as the 2024 and 2025 models and also reuses the design and screens from previous generations.
—
Kimberly Gedeon,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
The catastrophies that our heroine averts are awfully small potatoes — a bulldozer running amok, an amusement park ride speeding out of control, some prankish teenagers scheming to turn the girl’s shower into a steambath.
—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
The range-topping version of the company’s flagship SUV looks awfully similar to the Ferrari Purosangue and features a dual-motor powertrain that makes 990 hp.
—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
22 June 2026
On paper, that sounds like an awfully elaborate way to adapt a straightforward toy.
—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
But, goodness, those tailgates could get awfully stank.
—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
The United States' second World Cup match got off to an awfully familiar start.
—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Meanwhile, poor Sol is blithely ignoring Jen’s warning that Sincere seemed to switch up on Melanie awfully quick and that Sincere and Melanie are very in sync.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
That’s an awfully bold move from Motorola, considering the foldable is powered by the same chip as the 2024 and 2025 models and also reuses the design and screens from previous generations.
—
Kimberly Gedeon,
PC Magazine,
29 June 2026
The catastrophies that our heroine averts are awfully small potatoes — a bulldozer running amok, an amusement park ride speeding out of control, some prankish teenagers scheming to turn the girl’s shower into a steambath.
—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
The range-topping version of the company’s flagship SUV looks awfully similar to the Ferrari Purosangue and features a dual-motor powertrain that makes 990 hp.
—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
22 June 2026
On paper, that sounds like an awfully elaborate way to adapt a straightforward toy.
—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
But, goodness, those tailgates could get awfully stank.
—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
22 June 2026
The United States' second World Cup match got off to an awfully familiar start.
—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Meanwhile, poor Sol is blithely ignoring Jen’s warning that Sincere seemed to switch up on Melanie awfully quick and that Sincere and Melanie are very in sync.
—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awfully. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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