Awe
n.joyful, thoughtfulwarm
What it means
A feeling of wonder joined with deep respect before something vast or extraordinary.
Reach for it when describing admiration intense enough to humble the observer
The vast night sky filled the campers with awe.
Choose between these
6- everyday
great surprise dominates the reaction
not when Amazement can follow a trivial trick and need not include respect.
- warm
positive regard for excellence should stay measured
not when Admiration is less overwhelming and often evaluates a person or achievement.
- warm
curiosity and delighted amazement are uppermost
not when Wonder can be playful and lacks awe's humbling respect.
- formal
astonishment
the event radically exceeds expectation
not when Astonishment can be negative and contains no necessary appreciation.
- formal
deep respect, often sacred, is the main response
not when Reverence may be calm and familiar without astonishment.
- literary
a sustained state of delighted wonder suits lyrical prose
not when Wonderment sounds fanciful and can weaken a solemn experience.
Said against
3- contempt
- indifference
- disenchantment
It naturally appears in
3- sense of awe
The vaulted chamber creates a sense of awe without ornament.
- filled with awe
The children were filled with awe beneath the observatory dome.
- in awe of
The apprentice remained in awe of the carpenter's quiet precision.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English noun sense: reverential wonder or profound admiration opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.