godawful
- adjective
- /ɡɑːˈdɔːfəl/
- Archaic
- The view from the mountain was godawful; the vast expanse took my breath away.
Examples
-
But what other man could appear so godawful?
Fiction book (2001) -
There was the shuffling of feet, then the godawful silence.
Fiction book (1990) -
In the dim light of the ancient temple, the godawful statue seemed to come alive with an eerie majesty.
-
The godawful roar of the waterfall echoed through the canyon, instilling both fear and awe in those who stood nearby.
Synonyms
Very beautiful and impressive in a way that makes people admire it
A person or thing that is very powerful and makes people feel respect and fear
Extremely good or beautiful, as if from the gods
Very large or impressive in a way that amazes people
Causes people to feel great respect and wonder because it is very impressive
Impressive and makes you feel respect or wonder
Very good and impressive
Large and impressive in a way that makes people feel wonder
Grand and serious in a way that makes people respect it
Antonyms
How Impressive
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Godawful originally meant 'inspiring great respect or fear' because it is God plus awful, and awful meant 'full of awe' or 'very impressive'. That is why older writers used godawful for things both beautiful and frightening, though this meaning is now rare.