awfully
awfully Lexical Profile
awfully Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
To a great or remarkable degree; very or extremely (used informally as an intensifier with both positive and negative adjectives).
"It was awfully kind of the neighbors to look after our garden while we were away."
In a very bad, unpleasant, or objectionable manner; poorly or dreadfully.
"The team played awfully during the first half of the tournament, missing nearly every pass."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a degree modifier meaning 'very' (e.g., 'awfully nice'), 'awfully' is strictly informal and carries no negative connotation, whereas as an adverb of manner (e.g., 'behaved awfully'), it retains a strong negative meaning.
• Rhymes for awfully
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed from the Old English adjective 'egefull' ('inspiring dread or reverential awe') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly'. Over the 19th century, its sense weakened from 'in a manner inspiring dread' to 'terribly' and eventually into a colloquial intensifier meaning simply 'very'.