Did you know?
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
Evan Clark, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
Watching top performers get away with toxic behavior drives away your other awesome team members.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Not only is Nickelodeon planning to bring together the characters of Rubble & Crew and PAW Patrol in one awesome episode, but both shows have also been renewed for two new seasons.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 3 Mar. 2025
And check out this awesome Blue Ghost video of the moon during a recent orbit.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 1 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 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
awesome
adjective
Share