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Glite Dictionary
to watch in awe

to watch in awe

2 3.6
To look at something with strong admiration and surprise
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : mirar con asombro
  • The audience watched in awe as the magician performed his final trick.
  • the world watched in awe

The world watched in awe a few weeks ago as the floor fell out from under Sam Bankman freed and his cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

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Examples

  • Local residents and children watch in awe as a huge convoy of superhuman scale passes through the one-street town.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Keep watching us, world... watch in awe and get ready for the greatest transformation the free world has ever seen!

    Blog text (27)

  • Nick and the rest of the crew watch in awe.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • 25 billion people watched in awe.

    Pandorum (2009)

  • Each time one passed, Miles stopped all play and watched in awe.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I kicked myself out of its path, then just watched in awe.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • For now, however, the industry can watch in awe as a giant slice of the future begins work.

    Blog text (13)

  • Arthur's Warriors watch in awe.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The men watch in awe as the orb slowly descends into the abandoned field ahead of them.

    Do Ask, Do Tell: The Linda Campbell Story (2023)

  • But tonight, a mere 18 months after the tragedy of Apollo 1, the entire world watched in awe as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.

    Apollo 13 (1995)

Synonyms

to admire
vsto watch in awe
743 1.6

To feel respect and pleasure when you look at someone or something

adds a sense of strong amazement beyond simple respect or approval
to gaze
vsto watch in awe
170 2.6

To look steadily with admiration, surprise, or deep thought

focuses more on a strong emotional reaction rather than steady looking
to behold
vsto watch in awe
  • Archaic
131 7.6

To see something impressive, like a beautiful view or event

adds an emotional reaction of admiration or amazement to mere observation
to marvel
vsto watch in awe
68 3.8

To feel strong surprise or wonder about something

is more about observing with steady admiration rather than sudden surprise
to feast one's eyes
vsto watch in awe
  • Informal
6.0

To look at something with great pleasure

stresses strong amazement rather than just visual pleasure
to stand to gawk
vsto watch in awe
  • Informal
6.4

To stand still and stare with your mouth open in surprise

expresses admiration or respectful amazement rather than rude staring or disbelief

How Amazed

to watch in awe
2 3.6
to gaze
170 2.6
to watch
∞ 1.0
to notice
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

watch in awe infinitive
watching in awe present participle
watches in awe third person singular
watched in awe past
watched in awe past participle

Morphology

watch + in + awe

The phrase's meaning is directly compositional: 'watch' (observe) combined with the state expressed by 'in awe' (feeling wonder/respect) yields 'observe with admiration or amazement'. This follows a common English pattern (verb + in + emotion/state) that is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Watch in awe creates a clear image of people standing still with wide eyes as they watch something amazing and feel deep awe. So it means 'to observe' with a strong feeling of 'admiration' or 'amazement'.