an awful

USAGE SUMMARY

"an awful" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is very bad or unpleasant. Example: "It was an awful experience." Alternative expressions include "a terrible," "a dreadful," or "a horrible."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

"What an awful word".

The New York Times

It's an awful place.

The New York Times

"What an awful journey!

Independent

That's an awful question!

The Guardian - Lifestyle

What an awful foul!

The New York Times

I learnt an awful lot".

Independent

This was an awful thing.

The New Yorker

It was an awful experience.

Independent

It was an awful house.

The New Yorker

It was an awful mess.

The New York Times

Defensiveness is an awful trait.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the indefinite article 'an' is always used because 'awful' begins with a vowel sound, regardless of the noun that follows.

Common error

Writers sometimes mistakenly use 'a' before 'awful' because they are focused on the following noun (e.g., 'a awful mistake'). Always match the article to the immediately following word's sound. Additionally, avoid using it in strictly formal scientific reports where more objective terms like 'significant' or 'severe' are preferred.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an awful" functions as an adjective phrase modified by an indefinite article. According to Ludwig AI, it primarily serves to attribute a high degree of negative quality to a noun. It is also uniquely used in the idiomatic construction "an awful lot" where it acts as a quantifier to emphasize magnitude.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an awful" is a highly versatile and correct English phrase used to convey intense negativity or quantity. Ludwig AI shows that it is a staple of professional journalism and high-end literature, frequently appearing in prestigious outlets like The New York Times and The New Yorker. Whether you are describing "an awful" mistake or noting that something took "an awful" lot of time, the phrase effectively communicates a sense of significant scale and critical judgment. While synonyms like "<a href="/s/a+terrible" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a terrible" or "<a href="/s/a+dreadful" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a dreadful" are often interchangeable, the specific choice of "an awful" remains one of the most common ways to add descriptive weight to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a terrible

provides a near-perfect semantic match often used interchangeably in casual and formal contexts

a dreadful

suggests a deeper sense of fear or extreme unpleasantness

a horrible

carries a similar weight but is slightly more common in spoken or informal English

an appalling

emphasizes a sense of shock or moral outrage

an atrocious

highlights exceptionally poor quality or extreme cruelty

an abysmal

stresses the extreme low quality or depth of a failure

a ghastly

adds a connotation of physical or visual repulsiveness

an unpleasant

offers a much milder and more understated alternative

an egregious

is a more formal term used specifically for remarkably bad errors or behavior

a distressing

shifts the focus to the emotional pain caused by the situation

FAQs

How do I use "an awful" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a negative experience or object, such as in "It was <a href="/s/an+awful+experience" target="_blank" rel="alternative">an awful experience" or to emphasize quantity as in "He spent <a href="/s/a+great+deal" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a great deal of money."

What is the difference between "an awful" and "a terrible"?

While both mean very bad, "<a href="/s/a+terrible" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a terrible" can sometimes imply something that causes terror, whereas "an awful" is more frequently used as a general intensifier for negative qualities.

Can I use "an awful" in formal writing?

It is widely accepted in journalism and literature, but for highly formal academic or legal documents, consider more precise terms like "<a href="/s/an+appalling" target="_blank" rel="alternative">an appalling" or "<a href="/s/a+severe" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a severe".

What can I say instead of "an awful" to vary my vocabulary?

Depending on the context, you could use "<a href="/s/a+dreadful" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a dreadful", "<a href="/s/a+horrible" target="_blank" rel="alternative">a horrible", or "<a href="/s/an+abysmal" target="_blank" rel="alternative">an abysmal".