aween 
aweent, ?. ' [< ME. awenen, < a- + wenen, < AS. 
wenan, think, ween: see a- 1 and ween.'} To 
ween; suppose. 
The Jewes out of Jurselem awenden he were wade [mad]. 
Rel. Ant., I. 144. 
aweigh (a-wa'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< a 3 
+ weigh.*] Naul., atrip. The anchor is aweigh when 
it is just drawn from its hold in the ground and hangs 
perpendicularly. See atrip. 
aweless (a'les), a. [< ME. awles, etc. ; Ab. eye- 
leas, < ege, awe (see awe 1 ), + -leas, -less.] 1. 
Wanting awe or reverence ; void of deferential 
fear. 
Lordes bene lawles, 
Chyldere bene awles. 
A Prophecy, etc., I. 16 (E. E. T. S., extra ser., VIII. i. 85). 
The aweless lion could not wage the fight. 
Shale. , K. John, i. 1. 
2. Wanting the power of inspiring reverence 
or awe. 
The innocent and awless throne. Shak. , Rich. III. , ii. 4. 
Also spelled awless. 
awesome (a'sum), a. [North. E. and So.; < awe 1 
+ -some.'] 1. Inspiring awe; awful: as, an 
awesome sight. 
"An awsome place," answered the blind woman, "as 
ever living creature took refuge in." 
Scott, Old Mortality, xliii. 
The Wizard, on his part, manfully stuck up for his 
price, declaring that to raise the Devil was really no joke, 
and insinuating that to do so was an awesome crime. 
Kinglake, Eothen, p. 168. 
2. Evidencing or expressive of terror. 
He did gie an awesome glance up at the auld castle. 
Scott, Guy Mannering, I. xi. 
Also spelled awsome. 
awe-Strike (a'strik), v. t. To strike with awe. 
[Rare.] 
awe-Struck (a'struk), p . a. Impressed or struck 
with awe. 
awful (a'ful), a. [< ME. awful, agheful, aghful; 
AS. egeful, < ege, awe (see awe 1 ), + -jnl.~j 1. 
Striking or inspiring with awe ; filling with 
dread, or dread mingled with profound rever- 
ence : as, the awful majesty of Jehovah ; the 
awful approach of death. 
Her fathers' God before her moved, 
An awful guide in smoke and flame. 
Scott, When Israel, of the Lord beloved. 
The awful mysteries of the world unseen. J. Caird. 
2. Of a dreadful character; causing fear or 
horror ; terrible ; appalling : as, an awful disas- 
ter; I heard an awful shriek. 
Or if she slept, she dream'd 
An awful dream. Tennyson, Guinevere. 
3f. Inspiring or commanding respect, rever- 
ence, or obedience. 
An awful rule and right supremacy. 
Shak., T. of the S., v. 2. 
A parish priest was of the pilgrim train ; 
An awful, reverend, and religious man. 
Dryden, Char, of Good Parson, 1. 2. 
She would, upon occasions, treat them with freedom ; 
yet her demeanour was so awful, that they durst not fail 
in the least point of respect. Swift, Death of Stella. 
4. Expressive of or indicating deep awe, as 
for the Deity. 
Towards him they bend 
With awful reverence prone. Milton, P. L., ii. 478. 
Awful prostration, like Pascal's, before the divine idea. 
De Quincey, Secret Societies, i. 
5f. Impressed with or exhibiting respect or 
reverence, as for authority; law-abiding; re- 
spectful in the extreme. 
Thrust from the company of awful men. 
Shak., T. G. of V., iv. 1. 
How dare thy joints forget 
To pay their awful duty to our presence? 
Shak., Rich. II., iii. 3. 
6. Having some character in an extreme or 
noticeable degree ; excessive ; very great ; ex- 
traordinary ; preposterous : as, he is an awful 
dandy ; that is an awful bonnet. [Colloq. and 
vulgar.] 
Pot-pie is the favorite dish, and woodsmen, sharp-set, 
are awful eaters. 
Carleton, New Purchase, 1. 182. (Bartlett.) 
= Syn. 1 and 2. Awful, Dreadful, Fearful, Frightful, sol- 
emn, imposing, majestic ; dread, dire, dreadful, terrible. 
The first four of these words are often loosely or col- 
loquially used to express dislike, detestation, or horror, 
but should in the main retain the same distinctions 
of meaning as the nouns from which they are derived. 
Thus, awful is full of awe, full of that which inspires awe, 
exciting a feeling of deep solemnity and reverence, often 
with a certain admixture of fear, acting especially upon 
the imagination (see reverence, n.); the suggestion may 
shift in all degrees from awe to horror : as, an awful 
steamboat explosion. Dreadful is applied to what in- 
spires dread, that is, an oppressive fear of coming evil, 
and loosely to what is very bad. Fearful, full of fear, 
impressing fear : as, "a certain fearful looking for of 
judgment," Heb. x. 27. Frightful, not full of fright, but 
400 
inspiring fright or sudden and almost paralyzing fear. An 
awful sight ; a dreadful disaster ; a fearful leap ; a fright- 
ful chasm. 
Abash'd the Devil stood, 
And felt how awful goodness is. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 846. 
The smoothness of flattery cannot save us in this rugged 
and awful crisis Chatham, Speech on American War. 
O Lord ! methought what pain it was to drown ! 
What dreadful noise of waters in mine ears! 
What sights of ugly death within mine eyes! 
Methought I saw a thousand fearful wracks. 
Shak., Rich. HI., i. 4. 
There was a fearful, sullen sound of rushing waves and 
broken surges. Irving, Sketch-Book, p. 21. 
Their music, frightful as the serpents' hiss. 
SAot.,2Hcn. VI., ill. 2. 
_ely; majestically, (c) With a feeling c 
reverential fear; reverently, (d) Excessively; extreme- 
ly ; very : as, an awfully jolly man ; an awfully pretty girl. 
[Slang.] 
You'll be awfully glad to get rid of me. 
W. Black, Green Pastures, ii. 
awfulness (a'ful-nes), n. 1. The quality of 
being awful, or of striking or inspiring with 
awe, fear, or horror; impressive solemnity or 
sublimity ; dreadfulness ; terribleness : as, the 
awfulness of the sacred place, or of a casualty. 
Contrasts which move, now our laughter at their incon- 
gruity, and now our terror at their awfulness. J. Caird. 
2+. The state of being full of or inspired with 
awe; reverence; awe. 
A help to prayer producing in us reverence and awful- 
ness. Jer. Taylor, Holy Living. 
awgrimt, . A Middle English form of algo- 
rism. 
awhapet, *' t. [Revived by Spenser from a 
ME. verb found only in pp. awhaped, awaped, 
terrified, confounded; a word of uncertain 
origin. Cf. Goth, afhwapjan, choke, suffocate.] 
To confound ; terrify. Also awape. 
Not fulliehe alle awhaped, 
Out of the temple alle esiliche he wente. 
Chaucer, Troilus, i. 316. 
A wilde and salvage man, . . . 
All overgrowne with hair, that could awhape 
An hardy hart. Spenser, F. Q., IV. vii. 5. 
awheels (a-hwelz'), prep. phr. as adv. [< o 3 + 
wheels.'] 'On wheels. B. Jonson. 
awMle (a-hwil'), adv., prop. adv. phr. [< ME. 
awhile, one while; the adv. ace. of a 2 + while.'] 
For a space of time ; for some time ; for a short 
time. 
Counsel may stop awhile what will not stay. 
Shak., Lover's Complaint, 1. 159. 
The company were all sorry to separate so soon, . . . 
and stood a-while looking back on the water, upon which 
the moonbeams played. Dryden, Essay on Dram. Poesy. 
[Awhile is properly two words, as it has to be written 
when an adjective is used, as a little while, and as it is 
commonly and should be always written when preceded 
by for.] 
awidet, prep. phr. as adv. [< a 3 + wide, after 
afar, etc.] Wide; widely. 
They opened their mouth awide (wide in authorized ver- 
sion] upon me. Ps. xxxiv. 21 (Douay version). 
(a-wing'), prep. phr. as a. or adv. [< a 3 
+ wing"] On the wing. 
'Tis time his fortune be a-wing; high time, sir. 
Fletcher, Humorous Lieutenant, i. 1. 
Moving specks, which he thought might be ships in flight 
or pursuit, or they might be white birds awing. 
L. Wallace, Ben-Hur, p. 161. 
awk 1 (ak), a. [< ME. awke, auke, < ONorth. 
*afuh (in afulic, perverse) (= Icel. ofugr, ofigr 
(for "afugr) = Sw. afvig = OS. abhuh, abhoh = 
OHG. abuh, abah, abeh, MHG. ebich, ebech, G. 
dial. abicM, abech, abach, dbich, abig = MD. 
avesch, aefsch, awkward, contrary, perverse, 
D. aafsch, crafty, artful), lit. ' offward,' < af, 
awkwardly 
awkH (ak), adv. [< aw* 1 , a.] Awkwardly; 
wrongly. 
Professors ringing as awk as the bells. 
Sir It. L' Estrange, Fables, ccci. 
awk 2 , n. See auk^. 
awkerd, awkert (a'kerd, -kert), a. A dialec- 
tal form of awkward. [Prov. Eng.] 
awklyt (ak'li), adv. [ME. awkely; < aiofcl + 
-fy' 2 .] In the wrong direction; left- or back- 
handedly. Hence () Awkwardly ; clumsily. 
(6) Perversely, (c) Untowardly; unluckily. 
awklyt (ak'li), a. [< aiuk^ + -lyi. Cf. AS. 
(ONorth.) afulic, perverse: see aiofc 1 .] Per- 
verse; untoward. 
awknesst (ak'nes), n. [< flttJfc 1 + -ness.] The 
state of being awk or awkward. 
awkward (ak'ward), adv. [Early mod. E. or 
dial, also ovkword, awkwart, awkard, awkerd, 
awkert, etc., ME. awkwarde, atikward, etc., 
transversely, sidewise, perversely; < awk 1 + 
-ward.] It. In the wrong direction; in the 
wrong way ; backward. 
The emperour thane egerly at Arthure he strykez, 
Awkwarde on the umbrere [vizor] and egerly hym hittez. 
Morte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2247. 
2f. Asquint. 3. Awkwardly; clumsily. [Now 
only prov. Eng.] 
awkward (ak'ward), a. [Early mod. E. or dial, 
also aukward, awkwart, awlcard, awkerd, etc. ; 
< awkward, adv.] If. Turned the wrong way ; 
backhanded. 2f. Perverted; perverse. 
They with awkward judgment put the chief point of 
godliness in outward things. Udall, Mat. v. 
'Tis no sinister nor no awlcward claim. 
Shak., Hen. V., ii. 4. 
3f. Untoward; adverse. 
Twice by awkward wind from England's bank 
Drove back again unto my native clime. 
Shak., 2 Hen. VI., iii. 2. 
4. Ill adapted for use or handling; unhandy in 
operation; clumsy: as, awkward instruments 
or contrivances. 5. Wanting dexterity or skill 
in action or movement ; clumsy in doing any- 
thing, as in using tools or implements; bun- 
gling. 
So true that he was awkward at a trick. Dryden. 
6. Ungraceful in action or person; ungainly; 
uncouth: as, awkward gestures; the awkward 
gambols of the elephant. 
Drop'd an awkward court'sy to the Knight. 
Dryden, Wife of Bath's Tale. 
7. Embarrassed; not at ease: used in relation 
to persons: as, an awkward feeling. 8. Not 
easily dealt with ; troublesome; vexatious; re- 
quiring caution : as, an awkward predicament. 
[Colloq.] 
Between the weir and the trees it is an awkward spot, 
but difficulty is the charm of fly-fishing. 
Froude, Sketches, p. 241. 
9f. Unlucky. 
The beast long struggled as being like to prove 
An awkward sacrifice. Marlowe. 
= Syn. B and 6. Awkward, Clumsy, Ungainly, Uncouth, 
Bungling, unhandy, inexpert, unskilful, inapt, lubberly; 
uncourtly, inelegant, constrained, clownish. Awkward is 
generally applied to want of ease and grace or skill in bodi- 
ly movement, especially of the arms or legs : as, vxiawkward 
gait ; awkward in the use of a tool. Clumsy starts from 
the notion of heaviness, and consequent unwieldiness or 
awkwardness in use ; it is applicable to the whole body or 
to any part of it, even when still : as, a clumsy figure ; 
clumsy hands. This difference is also found in the figura- 
tive use of the words : a clumsy excuse is one that is put 
together badly ; an awkivard excuse is one that may be 
good, but is not gracefully presented. Ungainly, literally 
unhandsome, not pleasing to the eye, is applied generally 
to awkwardness of appearance. Uncouth, literally un- 
known, uncommon, and so, by a bit of human conceit, 
uninstructed, untrained, unrefined, sometimes even rude, 
barbarous : as, uncouth phrases, manners. Bungling, 
awkward in doing, handling awkwardly, spoiling by awk- 
figurative use : as, he made 
form and obscure origin. Cf. Goth, ibuks, back, 
backward, in which ib-, like the prefix in ib- 
dalja, descent, declivity, is perhaps a var. of 
*ab, af, thus making ibuks = OS. abhuh, etc., = 
E. am 1 .] It. Turned in the opposite direction; 
directed the wrong way ; backhanded: as, "an 
awk stroke," Palsgrave. 2f. Left; left-handed. 
On the awk or left hand. 
Holland, tr. of Plutarch, p. 717. 
3f. Wrong; erroneous; perverse: as, the awk 
end of a rod. 
Confuting . . . the awk opinions of the Stoics. 
Golding, tr. of De Mornay's Trueness of Christ. Religion. 
4. Awkward to use; clumsy: as, an awk tool. 
[Prov. Eng.] 5f. Strange; singular; distin- 
guished. 
Off elders of aide tynie and of theire awke dedys, 
How they were lele in theire lawe, and lovede God Al- 
myghty. Morte Arthure (ed. Perry, E. E. T. S.), 1. 13. 
With ridiculous and awkward action . . . 
He pageants us. Shak., T. and C., i. 3. 
re was 
., some- 
Hawthorne, Seven Gables, ix. 
for ornament. 
Who would have predicted that the prince of Grecian 
eloquence should have been found in a stammering orphan, 
of feeble lungs and ungainly carriage, deprived of educa- 
tion by avaricious guardians? Everett, Orations, II. 213. 
Many uncouth phrases and forgotten words seemed to 
her no less available than common forms. 
Stedman, Viet. Poets, p. 126. 
He must be a bungling gamester who cannot win. 
Macaulay. 
awkwardly (ak'ward-li), adv. In an awkward 
manner, (a) Clumsily ; without dexterity or grace in 
action ; in a rude or bungling manner ; inelegantly. (6) 
Embarrassingly ; inconveniently : as, awktvardly fixed or 
situated. 
