Dictionary / awe
awe
- noun
- verb
- from Old Norse
A feeling of fear and reverence.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “awe” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun · etymology 1
- uncountableusuallyA feeling of fear and reverence.
Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 172:
- uncountableusuallyA feeling of amazement.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- archaicuncountableusuallyPower to inspire awe.
verb · etymology 1
- transitiveTo inspire fear and reverence in.
That large room had always awed Ivor: even as a child he had never wanted to play in it, for all that it was so limitless, the parquet floor so vast and shiny and unencumbered, the windows so wide and light with the fairy expanse of Kensington Gardens.1922, Michael Arlen, “1/1/3”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
- transitiveTo control by inspiring dread.
While a sense of outrage is the only rational response to atrocity, if that outrage is maintained at too high a level over too long a time it can generate feelings of impotence, as we permit ourselves to be awed by this irrational act of violence.1982 August 21, Bob Nelson, “Harnessing Our Anger”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 6, page 5:
noun · etymology 2
No current senses for this part of speech — see older senses.
Older & obsolete senses (1)
- obsoleteA bucket (blade) attached to water wheels.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
- nounan overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
- nouna feeling of profound respect for someone or something — also: fear, reverence, veneration
- verbinspire awe in
Synonyms: enthral, enthrall, overwhelm
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
Etymology 1 (noun, verb)
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)awe
- Middle Englishaw
- Old Norseagi
- Proto-Germanic*agaz “terror, dread”
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂egʰ- “to be upset, afraid”
From Middle English aw, awe, agh, awȝe, borrowed from Old Norse agi, from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, dread”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to be upset, afraid”). Displaced native Middle English eye, eyȝe, ayȝe, eȝȝe, from Old English ege, æge (“fear, terror, dread”), from the same Proto-Germanic root.
Etymology 2 (noun)
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)awe
- Frenchauve
Borrowed from French auve.
Derivatives — words built from “awe”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “awe” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “awe” came from before it was English.
Etymology 1 (noun, verb)
Etymology 2 (noun)
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
awe n. [OE. a, aghe, fr. Icel. agi; akin to AS. ege, , Goth. agis, Dan. ave chastisement, fear, Gr. 'a`chos pain, distress, from the same root as E. ail. Ugly.]
- Dread; great fear mingled with respect.
- The emotion inspired by something dreadful and sublime; an undefined sense of the dreadful and the sublime; reverential fear, or solemn wonder; profound reverence.
awe v. t.
- To strike with fear and reverence; to inspire with awe; to control by inspiring dread.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: A feeling of fear and reverence.
Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 19 Feb 2013, page 172:
verbMeaning: To inspire fear and reverence in.
That large room had always awed Ivor: even as a child he had never wanted to play in it, for all that it was so limitless, the parquet floor so vast and shiny and unencumbered, the windows so wide and light with the fairy expanse of Kensington Gardens.1922, Michael Arlen, “1/1/3”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
verbMeaning: To control by inspiring dread.
While a sense of outrage is the only rational response to atrocity, if that outrage is maintained at too high a level over too long a time it can generate feelings of impotence, as we permit ourselves to be awed by this irrational act of violence.1982 August 21, Bob Nelson, “Harnessing Our Anger”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 6, page 5:
nounMeaning: an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration
he stared over the edge with a feeling of awe
verbMeaning: inspire awe in
The famous professor awed the undergraduates
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
awe
/ɔː/ · awe
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
awe
/ɔː/ · awe · noun, verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “awe” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “awe” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ-. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — awe
Origin: C. Old Norse (Old Norse agi)
Journey: English awe ← Middle English aw ← Old Norse agi ← Proto-Germanic *agaz ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ-
Some derivatives: awebound, aweful, awe-inspiring, aweless, awesome, awestricken, awestrike, awestruck
Original meaning: Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- — “to be upset, afraid”
Etymology: From Middle English aw, awe, agh, awȝe, borrowed from Old Norse agi, from Proto-Germanic *agaz (“terror, dread”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʰ- (“to be upset, afraid”). Displaced native Middle English eye, eyȝe, ayȝe, eȝȝe, from Old English ege, æge (“fear, terror, dread”), from the same Proto-Germanic root.
Sources: Wiktionary “awe” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/awe#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/awe