awfully beautiful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'awfully beautiful' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is incredibly beautiful, to the point of almost being unreal. For example, "The sunset was an awfully beautiful sight to behold."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"I could see Chris Tremlett looking awfully beautiful in a blond wig," says Olly Keir.

The Guardian - Sport

"It wasn't on the list of sights to see in New York but it was awfully beautiful," he said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In End of Term, for example, Nicola Marlow regards her new acquaintance: "She still thought Esther awfully pretty - beautiful, she amended shyly - but she wouldn't really mind if she ended up in another form".

The Guardian - Books

As she came out of the final turn, Beautiful Pleasure swung wide, awfully wide, enough to allow her rival Heritage of Gold an opening to run her down for the third time this year.

The New York Times - Sports

For years he was awfully good – tall, strong and bruising with a beautiful shot – he might have been one of the best ever if concussions hadn't cut his career short.

The Guardian - Sport

While it's certainly beautiful up in space... it's awfully lonely.

Huffington Post

Beautiful, undulating knolls and hillsides would be awfully boring without colorfully spray-painted and fluffy sheep grazing indulgently on the land, their fluorescent pink, blue, or green marks identifying them not to each other, but their shepherds.

Huffington Post

"I imagine it this way: God is preparing a beautiful, romantic candlelight dinner for my future husband and me," she explains, adding, "It is taking Him an awfully long time".

The New York Times

Awfully wrong".

The New York Times - Magazine

Awfully quick.

The New Yorker

Awfully good.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "awfully beautiful" to express a sense of beauty that is striking and perhaps slightly unexpected due to the intensifier "awfully", which can sometimes imply something negative.

Common error

Avoid using "awfully" too frequently as an intensifier in your writing. While grammatically correct, overuse can make your writing sound repetitive or unnatural. Vary your choice of adverbs to create a more nuanced and engaging style.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "awfully beautiful" functions as an adverb-adjective combination, where "awfully" modifies and intensifies the adjective "beautiful". This serves to emphasize the degree or extent of the beauty being described. Ludwig confirms the validity of this construction.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "awfully beautiful" combines the adverb "awfully" with the adjective "beautiful" to express a heightened degree of beauty. While "awfully" can sometimes carry a negative connotation, here it acts as an intensifier, similar to "very" or "extremely". Ludwig confirms that the phrase is grammatically sound and provides real-world examples from reputable sources such as The Guardian and The New York Times, primarily within the News & Media context. Although not exceedingly common, "awfully beautiful" is a valid and expressive way to convey a strong sense of aesthetic appreciation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely beautiful

Replaces "awfully" with "extremely", offering a more standard and direct intensification.

incredibly beautiful

Uses "incredibly" as an intensifier, suggesting a beauty that is hard to believe.

remarkably beautiful

Substitutes "awfully" with "remarkably", indicating a beauty that is worthy of notice.

exceptionally beautiful

Replaces "awfully" with "exceptionally", highlighting a beauty that exceeds the norm.

unusually beautiful

Uses "unusually" to express that the beauty is not typical or common.

strikingly beautiful

Emphasizes that the beauty is immediately noticeable and captivating.

wonderfully beautiful

Replaces "awfully" with "wonderfully", adding a sense of delight and amazement.

terribly beautiful

Mirrors the construction of "awfully", but can sometimes carry a slightly more dramatic tone.

exceedingly beautiful

Offers a more formal alternative to "awfully", suggesting a beauty that surpasses expectations.

intensely beautiful

Highlights the depth and strength of the beauty, making it feel more profound.

FAQs

How can I use "awfully beautiful" in a sentence?

You can use "awfully beautiful" to describe something that is strikingly beautiful, often with a hint of surprise or unexpectedness. For example: "The sunset over the mountains was an "awfully beautiful" sight."

What are some alternatives to saying "awfully beautiful"?

Some alternatives to "awfully beautiful" include "extremely beautiful", "incredibly beautiful", or "remarkably beautiful". The choice depends on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is "awfully beautiful" a formal or informal expression?

"Awfully beautiful" leans towards a slightly informal register due to the use of "awfully" as an intensifier. While grammatically sound, more formal contexts might benefit from alternatives like "exceptionally beautiful" or "exceedingly beautiful".

Does "awfully" always mean something negative when used as an intensifier?

While "awfully" can often imply something negative or unpleasant, when used as an intensifier (like in "awfully beautiful"), it simply amplifies the adjective. Its effect is similar to "very" or "extremely", although it can sometimes add a touch of surprise or understatement.