awe

B2 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ɔ/ UK /ɔː/ See IPA manual

Freq #11406

Meanings

1

noun
A feeling of great respect mixed with wonder or slight fear.

I stared over the edge of the building with a feeling of awe.
2

verb
To fill someone with awe.

The famous professor awed the students with her knowledge.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a feeling of great respect... veneration

2 verb · to fill someone with awe. overwhelm

Word family

Forms awedaweingawesawing

Derived forms awe-inspiringawedawefulawelessawesome awestrickenawestrikeawestruck awfulinaweoveraweunderawe

Simplified etymology

Awe is an Old English word that originally meant “terror” or “dread.” Its use for feelings toward God introduced the later senses of profound respect and wonder.

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.

*h₂egʰ- Proto-Indo-European aw Middle English agi Old Norse *agaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

External links

# awe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ɔ/
**IPA (UK):** /ɔː/
**Frequency rank:** 11406

## Meanings
1. A feeling of great respect mixed with wonder or slight fear.
2. To fill someone with awe.

## Examples
- I stared over the edge of the building with a feeling of awe.
- The famous professor awed the students with her knowledge.

## Derived Forms
- awe-inspiring
- awed
- aweful
- aweless
- awesome
- awestricken
- awestrike
- awestruck
- awful
- inawe
- overawe
- underawe

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂egʰ-
- Root: aw
- Root: agi
- Root: *agaz

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Awe comes 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.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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awe