awe-inspiring — extremely impressive or daunting; arousing awe through being impressive, formidable, or magnificent
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: extremely impressive or daunting; arousing awe through being impressive, formidable, or magnificent
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɔː ɪnˌspaɪərɪŋ/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother's awe-inspiring cooking skills made Gordon Ramsay cry tears of joy instead of rage.
- The Northern Lights created an awe-inspiring display across the Arctic sky.
- His awe-inspiring ability to fall asleep anywhere earned him the nickname 'Human Koala.'
awe-inspiring
ADJECTIVE[/ˈɔː ɪnˌspaɪərɪŋ/]
extremely impressive or daunting; arousing awe through being impressive, formidable, or magnificent
The awe-inspiring waterfall makes the hikers freeze in stunned silence.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This compound adjective combines two etymologically distinct elements: 'awe' derives from Old Norse 'agi', meaning fear or dread, first recorded in English in the 14th century; 'inspiring' comes from Latin 'spirare' (to breathe), which gave rise to the verb 'inspire' (to breathe life into, to animate). Together, they create a modern English compound meaning something that evokes profound wonder and motivation.
Breakdown
awe (Old Norse 'agi', fear/dread) + in- (into) + spir- (Latin 'spirare', breathe) + -ing (present participle suffix), forming a compound adjective where the second element 'inspiring' modifies the noun concept of 'awe'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother's awe-inspiring cooking skills made Gordon Ramsay cry tears of joy instead of rage.”
“The Northern Lights created an awe-inspiring display across the Arctic sky.”
“His awe-inspiring ability to fall asleep anywhere earned him the nickname 'Human Koala.'”
“The cathedral's awe-inspiring gothic architecture has attracted millions of visitors.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.