Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely unpleasant, terrible, or of very poor quality: "god-awful" is an emphatic, informal adjective used to describe something that is exceptionally bad, disagreeable, or offensive to the senses or sensibilities.

Usage

• The word "god-awful" is a strong, informal intensifier. It is typically used for emphasis in casual speech or writing to express strong disapproval, disgust, or disappointment.
• It often modifies nouns related to sensory experiences (e.g., noise, smell, taste, sight) or abstract concepts like situations or behavior.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • We had to sit through a god-awful movie with a nonsensical plot. (The movie was exceptionally terrible.)
  • She woke up with a god-awful headache after the long flight. (The headache was extremely unpleasant.)
  • He made a god-awful mistake that cost the company a lot of money. (The mistake was terribly bad.)

Advanced Usage

• "god-awful" as an adverb (informal): In very casual use, it can function as an adverb meaning "extremely" or "terribly."
  • The concert ran god-awful late, and we missed the last train. (The concert ran extremely late.)
• Emphatic Modifier: It is often used before nouns considered inherently negative (e.g., ) to amplify their negative quality.

Variants and Related Words

• Awful (adj): Very bad or unpleasant. ("god-awful" is a more emphatic form).
• Terrible (adj): Extremely bad or serious.
• Horrendous (adj): Extremely unpleasant, horrifying, or dreadful.

Synonyms

• Dreadful: Extremely bad or unpleasant.
• Appalling: Shockingly bad or terrible.
• Ghastly: Extremely unpleasant or frightening.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• A god-awful mess: An extremely disordered, dirty, or chaotic state.
  • The children left a god-awful mess in the kitchen.
• God-awful noise/racket: An extremely loud, unpleasant, or irritating sound.
  • The construction next door is making a god-awful racket.

Adjective

1. very unpleasant
   • hellish weather
   • stop that god-awful racket