awfully
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adverb:
- Very badly or unpleasantly: Used to describe something done in a terrible, unpleasant, or poor manner.
- To a great degree; very; extremely: Used as an intensifier, often in informal contexts, to emphasize an adjective or another adverb.
Usage Examples
- Meaning: Very badly or unpleasantly:
- She sang awfully during the audition. (She sang very badly.)
- The food was awfully prepared. (The food was prepared in a very poor way.)
- Meaning: To a great degree; very:
- The movie was awfully good. (The movie was very good.)
- It's awfully cold outside today. (It is extremely cold outside.)
- I'm awfully sorry for the mistake. (I am very sorry.)
Advanced Usage
- "awfully kind/nice of you": A common polite expression to thank someone emphatically.
- It was awfully kind of you to help me move. (It was extremely kind of you.)
- "awfully quiet/loud": Used to emphasize a state or quality.
- The library is awfully quiet this afternoon. (The library is very quiet.)
Variants and Related Words
- Awful (Adjective): Very bad or unpleasant; used to emphasize a large amount or extent.
- He has an awful cold. (He has a very bad cold.)
- I have an awful lot of work to do. (I have a very large amount of work.)
- Awfulness (Noun): The quality of being extremely bad or unpleasant.
Synonyms
- Terribly: Very badly; extremely.
- Dreadfully: In a dreadful manner; extremely.
- Extremely: To a very great degree.
- Very: In a high degree.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- "awfully good": An informal, somewhat paradoxical phrase meaning "very good," where "awfully" intensifies the positive adjective.
- That pie was awfully good! (That pie was exceptionally good!)
- "feel awfully": To feel very unwell or sorry.
- I feel awfully about forgetting your birthday. (I feel very sorry.)
Adverb
- in a terrible manner
- she sings terribly
- of a dreadful kind
- there was a dreadfully bloody accident on the road this morning
- used as intensifiers
- terribly interesting
- I'm awful sorry