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Definition of godawful

godawful

/ˌɡɑːdˈɔːfəl/
god · aw · ful
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godawful Lexical Profile

godawful Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Extremely bad, unpleasant, or dreadful; abominable.

Example

"We were stuck in traffic for three hours listening to that godawful noise from the construction site."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• adverb

1

To an extreme or unpleasant degree; terribly or awfully.

Example

"The old warehouse was godawful hot in the middle of August."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

Strictly informal in register, 'godawful' is most frequently used attributively before a noun (e.g., 'a godawful mess') or as an adverbial intensifier before another adjective.

• Rhymes for godawful

• Nearby Words

god
godafoss
godavari
godawful
godchild
goddammit
goddamn

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in late 19th-century American English by compounding 'God' (used as a colloquial intensifier) with 'awful'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Godawful. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/godawful
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