Awe
/ɔː/noun
A feeling of profound respect, wonder, and sometimes fear.
Did you know?In Old English, awe was closer to dread or fear, and only later shifted toward the sacred, overwhelming feeling we associate with cathedrals, stars, and power.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
ege
“fear, dread, terror”
Middle English
ME
awe
“fear, reverence, awe”
16th Century
English
awe
“a feeling of reverential fear or wonder”
Modern English
English
awe
“profound wonder or reverential respect”