awe
noun
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Definition of awe
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
awe
verb
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awed;
awing
Definition of awe (Entry 2 of 2)
: to inspire or fill with awe
We were awed by the beauty of the mountains.
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Synonyms for awe
Synonyms: Noun
admiration, amazement, astonishment, wonder, wonderment
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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 othersVerb
We stood at an impasse. If she thought she was getting my bags, she was nuts. I was still awed that they had actually made it through baggage claim in one piece; there was no way I was parting with them now. — Helene Cooper, The House At Sugar Beach, 2008 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
After opening with two headbanging rock tunes, Scarypoolparty (a.k.a Alejandro Aranda) played a handful of songs that showed off his awe-striking piano and guitar playing abilities. — Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, "Lollapalooza Day 3 Highlights: J Balvin Makes History, Lil Wayne Debuts an 'Old Town Road' Remix & More," 4 Aug. 2019 The wonders of the natural world are often recognized for their sublime, awe-inducing beauty. — Cian Maheer, Washington Post, "From Ancestor Glade to Hyrule Castle, these are the eight wonders of the virtual world," 4 June 2019 Capable of taking over a game, the Spaniard has looked incredibly impressive since arriving at the Emirates Stadium, with both his creativity and his movement leaving fans in awe. — SI.com, "Liverpool vs Arsenal: Picking a Combined XI Ahead of Saturday's Premier League Clash," 23 Aug. 2019 Harper paused to witness its ascent, then raced around the bases as a stadium was left in awe. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "DeMarcus Cousins’ latest injury: How much can one man take?," 16 Aug. 2019 During a whale-watching trip last week, wildlife photographer Chase Dekker stared in awe as a humpback surfaced and engulfed a sea lion in its mouth. — Sarah Keartes, National Geographic, "How a humpback whale ended up with a sea lion in its mouth," 30 July 2019 Carlin would have been in awe at all the attention. — Ben Morse, CNN, "Carlin Dunne's Mum pays emotional tribute to her son after racing death," 16 July 2019 Cameras were flashing, fans were in awe, and everyone looked fabulous. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "Beyoncé Loves Archie Mountbatten-Windsor as Much as You Do," 15 July 2019 Williamson likely will dazzle the crowd with the high-flying, thunderous dunks that left college basketball fans in awe last season. — Roy Parry, orlandosentinel.com, "Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson nears NBA Summer League debut," 2 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
On New Year’s, crew members joined more than a million spectators awed by fireworks that showered Australia’s Sydney Harbor with gold, purple and silver. — Author: Richard Read, Anchorage Daily News, "Meet the icebreaker Polar Star, the neglected stepchild of the U.S. military industrial complex," 17 Aug. 2019 On New Year’s, crew members joined more than a million spectators awed by fireworks that showered Australia’s Sydney Harbor with gold, purple and silver. — Los Angeles Times, "Meet the neglected 43-year-old stepchild of the U.S. military-industrial complex," 2 Aug. 2019 Today, Etruscan necropolises are UNESCO World Heritage sites and in the summer months, when tourists flock to Tuscany and the surrounding regions, many visitors will be awed by the vibrant frescoes as Lawrence once was. — E.o’k. | Lazio, The Economist, "The enduring influence of the Etruscans on Italian culture," 20 Aug. 2019 The Bills and Redskins aren't awe inspiring at the QB position either. — Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, "New Kaepernick video: 5 a.m. workouts, 5 days a week, for 3 years," 7 Aug. 2019 Passengers were awed until about 40% became visibly, painfully seasick. — Alan Behr, chicagotribune.com, "Getting a taste of Italy on a trip to Boston," 17 July 2019 Most tourists visiting London are awed by Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge. — Heather Knight, SFChronicle.com, "What does London lack that SF has in abundance? Misery on the streets," 9 July 2019 Robinson was awed by the whole Ohio State storied program with some recruiting analysts believing the Buckeyes were in the lead. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Salpointe Catholic's Bijan Robinson wins running back MVP at Five-Star Challenge," 25 June 2019 Trump first got the idea for Thursday’s events after attending the Bastille Day parade in Paris in 2017, where he was apparently awed by the French military display on the Champs-Elysees. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Tanks, But No Tanks," 4 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'awe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for awe
awe
noun
English Language Learners Definition of awe
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a strong feeling of fear or respect and also wonder
awe
verb
English Language Learners Definition of awe (Entry 2 of 2)
: to fill (someone) with awe
See the full definition for awe in the English Language Learners Dictionary
awe
noun
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Kids Definition of awe
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a feeling of mixed fear, respect, and wonder