as in extremely
to a great degree
I'm awfully sorry
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Recent Examples of awfully
The new club opening in Fort Worth is in an awfully competitive landscape.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
That last part can be awfully hard to do.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
With so many decisions to make, the Chiefs would have to get awfully creative to extend cornerback Trent McDuffie (who is entering the final year of his contract), which is why his name has floated in trade hypotheticals.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026
But Stoops set the bar awfully high with his eight straight bowl trips and two 10-win seasons.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Though his metaphors are awfully on the nose, Chiarella convincingly insists on their power.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Don’t know about you, Sean Payton, but I’d be awfully tempted to run the dang ball Sunday.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Purdy runs for his life The Seahawks made things awfully difficult on quarterback Brock Purdy, who spent much of his night trying to avoid getting sacked by Seattle’s talented defensive front that was among the NFL’s best throughout the season.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The implication was that language is reliable, consistent, and predictable, which is awfully boring—and dangerous.
—Julia Fisher, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
That last part can be awfully hard to do.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
With so many decisions to make, the Chiefs would have to get awfully creative to extend cornerback Trent McDuffie (who is entering the final year of his contract), which is why his name has floated in trade hypotheticals.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026
But Stoops set the bar awfully high with his eight straight bowl trips and two 10-win seasons.
—Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Though his metaphors are awfully on the nose, Chiarella convincingly insists on their power.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Don’t know about you, Sean Payton, but I’d be awfully tempted to run the dang ball Sunday.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Purdy runs for his life The Seahawks made things awfully difficult on quarterback Brock Purdy, who spent much of his night trying to avoid getting sacked by Seattle’s talented defensive front that was among the NFL’s best throughout the season.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 18 Jan. 2026
The implication was that language is reliable, consistent, and predictable, which is awfully boring—and dangerous.
—Julia Fisher, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awfully
Adverb
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Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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Even in hockey – a sport that is extremely popular around the world – there are terms used by commentators or pundits that you might not be accustomed to hearing if not a regular to the sport.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The hydropower generators at Greers Ferry Dam had been idle all day, so the Little Red was very low, with just a hint of current.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Progress appeared to be very little, as Iran has sought to limit the discussions to solely its nuclear program.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The plot weaves together elements of romance, family drama and feminist struggle against the backdrop of a space walk gone terribly awry.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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That’s incredibly moving to me, when people can internally start seeing the other person’s point of view.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
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Next, Stewart moved on to the Winter Olympics and the right-wing meltdown over freestyle skier Hunter Hess’ incredibly mild comments during a press conference.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
That question is something other clients have asked, too, Olins says.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The days of emphasizing sinkers and sliders and leaning too heavily on fastballs — see Dollander, Chase — are over.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
According to the agriculture department, testing has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds, as well as within backyard flocks and commercial flocks statewide.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The allegations raised fresh questions about the circumstances of Navalny's 2024 death and about the origin of a highly unusual toxin.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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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
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Jeff looks at things very straightforwardly and is damned fearless, right?—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The party is also expected to fare badly in regional and local elections in May.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
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Raw eggs were left at room temperature, some cans were badly dented and there was food debris on the can opener.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awfully. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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