awfully
Translation
awfully, terribly, very, extremely
Examples
It's awfully cold today.
It's awfully cold today.
I'm awfully sorry for the mistake.
I'm awfully sorry for the mistake.
Grammar Patterns
awfully + ((adjective)) to be very (adjective) It's awfully cold today.
Similar Words
Synonyms: very, extremely, terribly, badly
Etymology
From 'awe' + '-ful' + '-ly'. 'Awe' originally meant fear or dread, so 'awful' meant 'inspiring dread'. 'Awfully' evolved into an intensifier meaning 'very'.
Memory Tips
Think of it as an intensifier, like 'terribly' or 'extremely'. It can be used for both positive ('awfully kind') and negative ('awfully cold') descriptions.