Awfully

/ˈɔfəli/ adverb

Definition

Very much, or in a way that is terrible or bad (the meaning has shifted from the original sense).

Etymology

From 'awful' + -ly (adverb suffix). 'Awful' originally meant 'inspiring awe' from 'awe' + 'full,' but shifted to mean 'causing fear' then 'bad' over centuries. Now 'awfully' is used as an intensifier.

Kelly Says

It's wild that 'awfully' now means 'very' (like 'awfully good') when 'awful' means 'bad'—the word completely flipped its meaning because people used it so often that it became a general intensifier, the same way 'terribly' now just means 'very.'

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