Meaning & use
in awe
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
feeling great respect mixed with wonder for someone or something impressive.
Grammar: Used after the verb be or feel, and usually followed by of plus a person or thing: We were in awe of her courage.
Patterns
- be in awe of someone
- feel in awe of something
- stand in awe of someone
The children were in awe of the pilot and asked her dozens of questions.
I stood in awe as the orchestra played the final movement.
She is in awe of her grandmother, who learned to read at sixty.
phrasefixed phrase
filled with wonder and slight fear when facing something huge or powerful.
Grammar: Often used with natural scenery or size, and it can stand alone without 'of': We watched in awe.
Patterns
- watch in awe
- gaze in awe at something
- be in awe at something
We watched in awe as the storm moved across the valley.
He gazed in awe at the mountain rising above the clouds.
Common combinations
- be in awe of
- Most of the new players are in awe of the team captain.
- stand in awe
- Visitors stand in awe before the huge stone statues.
- watch in awe
- The crowd watched in awe as the fireworks filled the sky.
- in total awe
- After the concert I was in total awe of the pianist.
- a sense of awe
- Walking through the old temple gave me a sense of awe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- impressed
- Use 'impressed' for ordinary approval of skill or quality; 'in awe' is much stronger and adds wonder.
- awestruck
- 'Awestruck' is an adjective that describes the person directly (an awestruck visitor), while 'in awe' needs be or feel.
- reverent
- 'Reverent' suggests quiet religious respect; 'in awe' can be about anything amazing, not only sacred things.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: in awe or awesome? in awe or awe?
in awe vs awesome
'Awesome' is an adjective meaning 'very good' in informal speech, but 'in awe' describes your feeling toward something impressive. Saying 'I am awesome of you' is wrong; say 'I am in awe of you'.
in awe vs awe
'Awe' is the noun for the feeling itself (a feeling of awe); 'in awe' is the phrase that says someone has that feeling.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'in awe' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase takes 'of' before the person: in awe of her teacher. 'For' is the wrong preposition, 'awe' alone cannot follow 'is' in this way, and 'very in awe' is not used because the phrase already means a strong feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in awe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.