Awful
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "awful" is often used as a magnifier to mean "very" or "extremely," as in "awful good" or "awful full."
synonyms: very, mighty, real, powerful (dialectal intensifiers)
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Using 'awful' in place of 'very' is super common around here, you'll hear it all the time. Hillbilly Dude Says...
Using 'awful' in place of 'very' is super common around here, you'll hear it all the time. Pronunciation
[AW-ful] /ˈɔː.fəl/
Meaning & Usage
- Used as an intensifier (adverb/adjective)
Clara:
That fried chicken was awful good.
That fried chicken was awful good.
Ray:
Yeah, but now I’m awful full.
Yeah, but now I’m awful full.variations: awful good, awful full, awful tired
★ In this sense, "awful" doesn’t mean bad-it flips around to mean "very." It’s a common way Southerners and Appalachians add emphasis in everyday talk. ★
Origin and Etymology
Originally, "awful" meant "inspiring awe." Over time, it shifted into an all-purpose intensifier. By the 1800s, speakers in the South and Appalachia were using "awful" to mean "very," a usage that stuck in the region even as it faded in other parts of the country.
Usage Notes
- Often paired with positive words like "good," "sweet," or "proud."
- Also used with neutral or negative words: "awful tired," "awful late."
- Still common in Southern/Appalachian English, though considered old-fashioned elsewhere.
- Part of a larger Southern pattern of colorful intensifiers ("mighty good," "real nice," "powerful strong").