What does awe mean?
Word: Awe
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Awe means a strong feeling of respect, often mixed with a little fear, that something huge or powerful can give you.
Synonyms: amazement
How do you spell awe?
Syllables: awe
Tricky part: It is only three letters, but it ends in a silent e that children often leave out.
Watch out for: awee, auw
Memory tip: Awe starts with aw, the sound people make at a lovely sight, and then adds a quiet e.
Idioms and Phrases
- in awe of: full of deep respect and admiration for someone or something Example: "Little Raj is in awe of his elder brother's batting."
Awe in a sentence
Example 1: We stood in awe at the foot of the Himalayas.
Example 2: The children watched the rocket launch in awe.
Example 3: The size of the old fort filled the visitors with awe.
Fun Fact
Awe came into English from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, in which agi meant fear. Over time the English word came to mix that fear with deep respect.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) awe
b) yorn
c) klaw
d) strawe
Show answer
a) awe. Straw, yawn and claw are all misspelt here; awe is the only word spelt correctly.
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
awe
a) som
b) sum
c) some
d) sam
Show answer
c) some. Something awesome fills you with awe; the ending is spelt like handsome.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
awe
a) worry
b) anger
c) boredom
d) wonder
Show answer
d) wonder. Awe is a deep feeling of wonder.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
We stood in awe as the peacock spread its butiful tail.
a) stood
b) awe
c) butiful
d) peacock
Show answer
c) butiful. Beautiful starts with beau, b-e-a-u. Awe is spelt right here, with its silent e.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence shows Ria feeling awe?
a) Ria yawned as the teacher read out the list.
b) Ria gasped as a huge whale rose beside the boat.
c) Ria frowned when the tip of her pencil broke.
d) Ria giggled at her little brother's silly joke.
Show answer
b) Ria gasped as a huge whale rose beside the boat.
2. Which of these is most likely to fill a visitor with awe?
a) a pile of homework
b) the Taj Mahal at sunrise
c) a broken umbrella
d) a puddle in the yard
Show answer
b) the Taj Mahal at sunrise
