awesome

/ˈɔsəm/

/ˈɔsəm/

Other forms: awesomely

An awesome something or someone is amazing, breathtaking, or overwhelming. Like traveling the globe in a hot air balloon or visiting the Taj Mahal. Or, if you're 7, hearing someone burp the alphabet.

Awesome popped on the scene around 1600, probably in a church. It first meant “profoundly reverential,” but morphed later into an adjective meaning “inspiring awe.” Flash forward to the 20th century, when awesome transformed once again — this time into an everyday word for "impressive." These days it's synonymous with "outstanding" and "totally cool."

Definitions of awesome

1. adjective

   inspiring awe or admiration or wonder
   “the awesome complexity of the universe”

   synonyms: amazing, awe-inspiring, awful, awing

   impressive

   making a strong or vivid impression
2. interjection

   used to express that something is excellent or remarkable