as in extremely
to a great degree
I'm awfully sorry
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Recent Examples of awfully
The Mercedes might have looked awfully dominant in Australia, China, and Japan, but as of now, the season looks like a four-way fight.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
All four Southern California teams came awfully close to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships.
—Daily News, 1 May 2026
The host and her guests have an awfully good time agreeing about everything.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
The Orlando teammates shared a quick high-five before thrusting the air awfully close to one another.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
That just seems like an awfully steep price, which Paton said himself last week.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The result is that these Iranian characters, when talking among themselves in their native tongue, sound awfully like Americans having a conversation in the mall or at a nearby table at a restaurant.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The willingness of the officers to jump into some awfully cold water was for a good cause – Special Olympics Illinois — is admirable.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
All four Southern California teams came awfully close to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships.
—Daily News, 1 May 2026
The host and her guests have an awfully good time agreeing about everything.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
The Orlando teammates shared a quick high-five before thrusting the air awfully close to one another.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
That just seems like an awfully steep price, which Paton said himself last week.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
The result is that these Iranian characters, when talking among themselves in their native tongue, sound awfully like Americans having a conversation in the mall or at a nearby table at a restaurant.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The willingness of the officers to jump into some awfully cold water was for a good cause – Special Olympics Illinois — is admirable.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awfully
Adverb
-
But even Black athletes whose athleticism gifted them an extremely exclusive express lane in life can tell you stories about growing up a minority in America, or tales their parents or grandparents have told.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
The theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED) suggests that when light at extremely high intensities interacts with the vacuum, it can be converted into matter.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
But Justin is very different from book to screen.—
Jennifer McClellan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
In isolation, Liverpool’s summer 2025 business was very good, but there are so many mitigating factors to consider.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
Second, the only games the Spurs have lost in this series are when either Wemby has played terribly or gotten thrown out of the game.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
But even doing very little can still go terribly wrong.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
This organic cotton dress is incredibly lightweight and breathable, and the floaty skirt allows for full freedom of movement.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
-
From the concierge who nimbly assisted me with dining and fitness class reservations to the kind dining staff, the friendly Miami team made sure I was always taken care of and was incredibly helpful at offering local recommendations and insight.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
Adverb
-
Those who have ridden it before know Smugglers Run has always been responsive, perhaps too much so as inexperienced gamers could spend the entire attraction crashing the ship.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
Jamie Gittens, too, is a straightforward winger and has had a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge, struggling for a place due to form and often fitness.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adverb
-
Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids including blood, vomit and semen.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
So, of course, the latest movie from the two-time Oscar nominee, his first feature in close to a decade, is highly anticipated.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Adverb
-
But Cleveland State was, in fact, a damned good basketball team, as were most of the double-digit seed winners in NCAA Tournament history.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
-
And damned if Love isn’t willing to talk, sometimes candidly and other times in maddeningly vague terms, about all the hell she’s gone through to get to right now.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
While some African countries are major oil and gas producers, the continent imports the vast majority of its fuels, leaving it badly exposed to foreign energy shocks.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
The man died immediately, but his body badly damaged one of the jet engines.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awfully. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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