What does awfully mean?
"Awfully" is an adverb with two main uses. In modern everyday speech it most commonly functions as an informal intensifier meaning "very" or "extremely," as in "an awfully kind gesture" or "it's awfully late." This usage is especially frequent in British English and conversational contexts, lending a slightly polite or understated tone compared with blunter intensifiers like "very" or "really." The word also retains an older, more literal sense: doing something in a manner that is dreadful, unpleasant, or shocking, as in "the prisoners were treated awfully." Both senses trace back to the noun "awe," which originally denoted a profound mixture of fear and reverence — the same root that produced "awesome" and "awful." Over time, as "awful" shifted from describing something awe-inspiring to something merely bad, "awfully" followed suit, evolving from "in an awe-inspiring way" into a general-purpose intensifier. This history makes "awfully" a small but revealing example of how words drift in meaning across centuries.
Very; extremely — used informally to add emphasis.
"He was awfully pleased with the result."
Chiefly informal; more common in British English than American English.
In a manner that is very bad, unpleasant, or dreadful.
"The refugees were treated awfully by the authorities."
This is the older, more literal sense of the word and is less common today.
"Awfully" once meant "inspiring awe" — the same root as "awesome" — before drifting into everyday speech as a way to say "very."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of awfully
"Awfully" derives from "awful," which was formed in Middle English from "awe" plus the suffix "-ly" via the adjective form. Originally, "awful" meant "inspiring awe or reverence," so "awfully" meant "in an awe-inspiring manner." During the 18th and 19th centuries, both words underwent semantic weakening: "awful" came to mean simply "very bad," and "awfully" shifted from its literal sense into an informal intensifier meaning "very." It shares its root with "awe," "awesome," and "awestruck," all tracing back through Middle English to Old Norse "agi" and related Germanic sources.
Related word forms
How awfully is actually used
"Awfully" is informal in its intensifying sense and is more common in British English than American English, where "really" or "so" are often preferred. Its older literal sense of "in an awful manner" survives mainly in formal or historical writing.
Easily confused with awfully
"Awfully" is an intensifier meaning very or dreadfully, while "officially" relates to something done with formal authority.