awfully
Translation
very, extremely, badly
Examples
I'm awfully sorry for what happened.
I'm awfully sorry for what happened.
He played awfully and lost the match.
He played awfully and lost the match.
Grammar Patterns
awfully + ((adjective)) very (adjective) I'm awfully sorry.
((verb)) + awfully (verb) badly He played awfully.
Similar Words
Synonyms: very, extremely, terribly, dreadfully; Antonyms: slightly, not at all
Etymology
From 'awe' + '-ful' + '-ly'. 'Awe' originally meant 'fear, terror', so 'awfully' literally means 'in a way that inspires awe or dread'.
Memory Tips
Think of it as an intensifier, like 'terribly' or 'dreadfully'. 'It's awfully cold' means 'It's terribly cold'.