1
: exceedingly, extremely, very
—used as an intensive
an awfully long time
That's awfully nice of you.
Her name seems awfully familiar.
Technically, it's not bribery, but it's awfully close.—
Elizabeth Drew
Elizabeth Drew"I suppose you think me awfully foolish about it?"—Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde2
a
dated
: in a way that inspires awe
… the drawing room in which New York's most chosen company was somewhat awfully assembled.—Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
b
archaic
: with a feeling of awe
And timorous passed, and awfully withdrew.—Alexander Pope, translation The Odyssey of Homer
Alexander Pope, translation The Odyssey of Homer3
: in an unpleasant, disagreeable, or objectionable way
We were treated awfully.
The team played awfully.
… he of the red nightcap now commenced snoring awfully …—George Borrow
George BorrowExamples of awfully in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Quatraro’s comment about not having 25 major-league quality players floating around may sound awfully familiar to Royals fans.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
There is something awfully likable about this team, mostly its refusal to quit.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 May 2026
Because Baggers are awfully low to begin with.
—New Atlas, 19 May 2026
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
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Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
There is something awfully likable about this team, mostly its refusal to quit.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 22 May 2026
Because Baggers are awfully low to begin with.
—New Atlas, 19 May 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Awfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awfully. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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