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Is the word awesome overused?
Many object to the use of awesome to describe something (such as a sandwich) that does not literally elicit feelings of awe. Yet the same people who insist that awesome should be used only of weighty subjects (Niagara Falls, man landing on the moon) will happily use the word awful in reference to something (such as a mess) that falls distinctly short of being “full of awe.” This weakened sense was once considered improper—in fact, complaints about it persisted through the early decades of the 20th century.
The change in meaning that awesome is undergoing may be more recent than that of awful, but both words are treading the same path. For evidence that such change is normal, we need look no further than awe, which originally meant “terror” and now carries the weaker sense “wonder.”
Synonyms of awesome
Examples of awesome in a Sentence
Rob Stein, NPR, 6 May 2026
The Braves lead the Majors in OPS — Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II have been awesome, and Dominic Smith is chipping in — but the bigger surprise is probably their pitching.
—Chad Jennings, New York Times, 6 May 2026
The awesome power of the state.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2026
Count Dooku Christopher Lee with an awesome cape and a lightsaber.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for awesome
Cite this Entry
“Awesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awesome. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
awesome
adjective
