awe

[aw] /ɔ/
noun
1.
an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like:
in awe of God; in awe of great political figures.
2.
Archaic. power to inspire fear or reverence.
3.
Obsolete. fear or dread.
verb (used with object), awed, awing.
4.
to inspire with awe.
5.
to influence or restrain by awe.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English aghe, awe < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse agi fear, cognate with Gothic agis, Old English ege, Greek áchos pain
Related forms
outawe, verb (used with object), outawed, outawing.
Synonyms
1. wonder, veneration.
Antonyms
1. apathy; contempt.
British Dictionary definitions for awing

awe

/ɔː/
noun
1.
overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread
2.
(archaic) power to inspire fear or reverence
verb
3.
(transitive) to inspire with reverence or dread
Derived Forms
aweless, (US) awless, adjective
Word Origin
C13: from Old Norse agi; related to Gothic agis fear, Greek akhesthai to be grieved
Word Origin and History for awing
n.

"action of inspiring with awe," 1650s, verbal noun from awe (v.).

awe

n.

c.1300, earlier aghe, c.1200, from a Scandinavian source, e.g. Old Norse agi "fright;" from Proto-Germanic *agiz- (cf. Old English ege "fear," Old High German agiso "fright, terror," Gothic agis "fear, anguish"), from PIE *agh-es- (cf. Greek akhos "pain, grief"), from root *agh- "to be depressed, be afraid" (see ail). Current sense of "dread mixed with veneration" is due to biblical use with reference to the Supreme Being. Awe-inspiring is recorded from 1814.

v.

c.1300, from awe (n.); Old English had egan (v.). Related: Awed; awing.