Awful in Different Languages
Discover 'Awful' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Awful
Afrikaans aaklig | ||
Albanian e tmerrshme | ||
Amharic አስከፊ | ||
Arabic سيى | ||
Armenian ահավոր | ||
Assamese ভয়াবহ | ||
Aymara phiru | ||
Azerbaijani dəhşətli | ||
Bambara cɛjuguman | ||
Basque ikaragarria | ||
Belarusian жудасна | ||
Bengali ভয়াবহ, আতঙ্কজনক | ||
Bhojpuri भद्दा | ||
Bosnian grozno | ||
Bulgarian ужасно | ||
Catalan horrible | ||
Cebuano makalilisang | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 可怕 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 可怕 | ||
Corsican orribile | ||
Croatian grozno | ||
Czech hrozný | ||
Danish forfærdelig | ||
Dhivehi ކަމުނުދާ | ||
Dogri घोर | ||
Dutch verschrikkelijk | ||
English awful | ||
Esperanto terure | ||
Estonian kohutav | ||
Ewe menyo o | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kakila-kilabot | ||
Finnish kauhea | ||
French terrible | ||
Frisian ôfgryslik | ||
Galician horrible | ||
Georgian საშინელი | ||
German schrecklich | ||
Greek απαίσιος | ||
Guarani ivairasa | ||
Gujarati ભયાનક | ||
Haitian Creole terib | ||
Hausa mummunan | ||
Hawaiian weliweli | ||
Hebrew נורא | ||
Hindi भयंकर | ||
Hmong phem aw | ||
Hungarian szörnyű | ||
Icelandic hræðilegt | ||
Igbo jogburu onwe ya | ||
Ilocano nakaam-ames | ||
Indonesian mengerikan | ||
Irish uafásach | ||
Italian terribile | ||
Japanese ひどい | ||
Javanese ala banget | ||
Kannada ಭೀಕರ | ||
Kazakh қорқынышты | ||
Khmer អាក្រក់ណាស់ | ||
Kinyarwanda biteye ubwoba | ||
Konkani भिरांकुळ | ||
Korean 무서운 | ||
Krio bad | ||
Kurdish xofane | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) سەمەرە | ||
Kyrgyz коркунучтуу | ||
Lao ເຮັດໃຫ້ເກງຂາມ | ||
Latin awful | ||
Latvian šausmīgi | ||
Lingala ya mpasi | ||
Lithuanian baisus | ||
Luganda kya ntiisa | ||
Luxembourgish schrecklech | ||
Macedonian ужасно | ||
Maithili भयंकर | ||
Malagasy mahatsiravina | ||
Malay mengerikan | ||
Malayalam അസഹനീയമാണ് | ||
Maltese orribbli | ||
Maori whakamataku | ||
Marathi भयानक | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯇꯕ | ||
Mizo chhe tak | ||
Mongolian аймшигтай | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကြောက်တယ် | ||
Nepali डरलाग्दो | ||
Norwegian fryktelig | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) zoyipa | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଭୟଙ୍କର | ||
Oromo kan namatti hin tolle | ||
Pashto ځورونکی | ||
Persian خیلی بد و ناخوشایند | ||
Polish straszny | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) horrível | ||
Punjabi ਭਿਆਨਕ | ||
Quechua manchakuy | ||
Romanian îngrozitor | ||
Russian ужасно | ||
Samoan leaga tele | ||
Sanskrit असमीचीनम् | ||
Scots Gaelic uamhasach | ||
Sepedi boifišago | ||
Serbian грозно | ||
Sesotho hampe | ||
Shona zvakaipa | ||
Sindhi خوفناڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) භයානකයි | ||
Slovak hrozne | ||
Slovenian grozno | ||
Somali xun | ||
Spanish horrible | ||
Sundanese uih pisan | ||
Swahili mbaya | ||
Swedish förfärlig | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kakila-kilabot | ||
Tajik даҳшатнок | ||
Tamil மோசமான | ||
Tatar коточкыч | ||
Telugu భయంకర | ||
Thai แย่มาก | ||
Tigrinya ደስ ዘይብል | ||
Tsonga xo biha | ||
Turkish korkunç | ||
Turkmen aýylganç | ||
Twi (Akan) nyɛ koraa | ||
Ukrainian жахливо | ||
Urdu خوفناک | ||
Uyghur قورقۇنچلۇق | ||
Uzbek dahshatli | ||
Vietnamese kinh khủng | ||
Welsh ofnadwy | ||
Xhosa eyoyikisayo | ||
Yiddish שרעקלעך | ||
Yoruba buruju | ||
Zulu kabi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | "Aaklig" derives from the German word "eklig" (disgusting). |
| Albanian | The word "e tmerrshme" in Albanian is derived from the Proto-Albanian word "*tmaršmь", meaning "darkness" or "the underworld." |
| Amharic | The Amharic word "አስከፊ" can also mean "fearful" or "terrible". |
| Arabic | سيى is the opposite of حسن (good) and also means 'black' in Aramaic |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "ահավոր" ("ahavorn") derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂wes- " and shares a similar etymology with the English word "awesome," meaning "inspiring awe or wonder." |
| Azerbaijani | The word "dəhşətli" in Azerbaijani, meaning "awful," has a different root than its English equivalent, coming from the Persian word "dahshat," meaning "terror" or "horror." |
| Basque | The word 'ikaragarria' is related to the Basque word 'ikaratu', which means 'to frighten' or 'to terrorize', and is used to describe experiences that cause feelings of terror or horror. |
| Belarusian | The word "жудасна" in Belarusian is derived from the word "жуда" meaning "very" and can also mean "terrible" or "horrible". |
| Bengali | The word "awful" originally meant "full of awe" or "inspiring reverence" in English, before evolving to its current meaning of "terrible" or "very bad". |
| Bosnian | The word "grozno" in Bosnian is derived from Old Church Slavonic "grozno" meaning "terrible". It also means "a bunch" or "cluster" of grapes. |
| Bulgarian | "Ужасно" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic "ужасъ" meaning "fear" or "terror", and originally meant "dreadful" or "awe-inspiring". Today, it usually means "terrible" or "awful" in negative contexts, but it can also mean "amazing" or "impressive" in positive contexts (e.g. "ужасно красив"). |
| Catalan | In Catalan, the word "horrible" is derived from the Latin word "horribilis" which means "dreadful". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word 'makalilisang' comes from the root word 'kalisang', meaning 'horror or terror', suggesting its strong emotional connotation. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "可怕" originally meant "causing awe or dread" but now also means "bad or unpleasant". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | The Chinese word "可怕" literally means "can cause fear" and is often used to describe something that is both fearful and awe-inspiring. |
| Corsican | In Corsica, "orribile" also means "bad weather" or "rough seas". |
| Croatian | The word 'grozno' is related to the word 'graza', meaning 'terror' or 'horror', and is thought to have originated from Proto-Slavic *gorzь, meaning 'terrible' or 'fearful'. |
| Czech | "Hrozný" in Czech also means "grape" because the oldest Czech vineyards were planted with a type of sour grapes |
| Danish | The Danish word "forfærdelig" originally meant "terrible" or "horrible", but over time it has come to mean "awful" or "bad". |
| Dutch | Verschrikkelijk in Dutch can also mean "terrifying" or "frightening", stemming from the verb "schrikken", meaning "to be frightened". |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "terura" comes from the Latin root "terror," meaning "dread" or "extreme fear." |
| Estonian | In Estonian, "kohutav" originally meant "terrible," but has since also come to mean "awful" or "dreadful." |
| Finnish | "Kauhea" comes from the word "kauhu" which means "horror" or "dread". |
| French | "Terrible" in French can also mean "amazing" or "formidable," which has a different connotation from its English counterpart. |
| Frisian | "Ôfgryslik" is likely derived from the Old Frisian "gryslik" meaning "horror" and "ôf" meaning "very" or "excessive". |
| Galician | In Galician, "horrible" can also mean "extraordinary" or "exceptional" |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "საშინელი" means "terrible", but it literally translates to "full of fear or terror" |
| German | The German word "schrecklich" originally meant "terrifying" or "fearful" but has since come to mean "awful" or "terrible". |
| Greek | The Greek word απαίσιος (apaísios) also means 'unfavorable' and 'unwelcome'. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "ભયાનક" can also mean "terrible" or "formidable". |
| Haitian Creole | The Haitian Creole word "terib" is derived from the French word "terrible", which means "inspiring or causing fear". |
| Hausa | The word "mummunan" is an adverb in Hausa which means "badly" or "horribly". It might be related to the verb "mummuna" or the noun "muna" (both meaning "bad"), though the root of these words is not known. The word "mummunan" is sometimes used as a noun, meaning "an awful thing" or "a calamity." |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "weliweli" can also refer to something that is "shaky" or "trembling". |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "נורא" (pronounced "nora") comes from the root word "ירא" (pronounced "yirah"), which means "fear" or "awe". This reflects the idea that something "awful" is something that inspires fear or awe. |
| Hindi | The word "भयंकर" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भय" (fear), and can also mean "terrible", "dreadful", or "horrible". |
| Hmong | Phem aw in the Hmong language also means "very" or "extremely. |
| Hungarian | The word "szörnyű" (awful) in Hungarian comes from the word "szörny" (monster), which is in turn derived from the Turkic word "sürün" (to crawl). |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic word "hræðilegt" derives from the Old Norse word "hræðilig", meaning "terrible" or "fearsome". |
| Igbo | "Jogburu onwe ya" literally means "something that kills itself" in Igbo, hence its use to describe something extremely bad or awful. |
| Indonesian | "Mengerikan" stems from "ngeri", meaning "fear", and is related to "ngerang", meaning "screaming". |
| Irish | "Uafásach" is derived from the Irish word "uafa" meaning "horror" and the suffix "-ach" meaning "full of". |
| Italian | "Terribile" (awful) comes from the Latin "terribilis," meaning "causing terror" or "frightening." |
| Japanese | The term "ひどい" can refer to situations of exceptional beauty or quality, not just something considered terrible. |
| Javanese | The phrase "ala banget" can also be used to express "very good" in Javanese slang |
| Kannada | The word "ಭೀಕರ" in Kannada also means "tremendous" or "very much" and is often used in a positive sense. |
| Kazakh | In Kazakh, the word "қорқынышты" not only means "awful" but also "fearful" or "terrible. |
| Khmer | The word 'awful' comes from the Middle English word 'aweful', which meant 'full of awe' or 'inspiring reverence'. |
| Korean | The word "무서운" (awful) originates from the word "무서우다" (to be afraid), indicating a strong sense of fear or dread. |
| Kurdish | "Xofane" in Kurdish can also refer to a large, sturdy basket woven from rushes or straw, commonly used for storing or carrying goods or materials. |
| Kyrgyz | The term 'коркунучтуу' also has a connotation of 'terrifying', 'frightening', or 'horrifying' in Kyrgyz. |
| Latin | In Latin, "awful" derives from "augurium," meaning "a sign from augur, omen". |
| Latvian | "Šausmīgi" can also be used to express surprise, excitement or wonder, especially when used in the phrase "šausmas!" |
| Lithuanian | This word may have originated from the Old Prussian word “baisus”, which means “terrible”. |
| Luxembourgish | Schrecklech is derived from the German word schrecklich, which also means "awful" and comes from the Old High German word schrecken, meaning "to frighten". |
| Macedonian | The word "Ужасно" in Macedonian can also mean "very much" or "greatly". |
| Malagasy | The word "mahatsiravina" in Malagasy can also mean "bad" or "wicked." |
| Malay | The word "mengerikan" is derived from the root word "geri" which means "to fear". It can also mean "frightening" or "dreadful". |
| Malayalam | The word "അസഹനീയമാണ്" in Malayalam comes from Sanskrit word "asahaniya" and literally means "intolerable," and can refer to something that is extremely bad, difficult, or unpleasant. |
| Maltese | The word "orribbli" originates from the Latin word "horribilis", meaning "terrible" or "dreadful". |
| Maori | "Whakamataku" also refers to the power of a spell to invoke fear, dread and awe, especially in the context of sorcery. |
| Marathi | The word "भयानक" comes from the Sanskrit word "भय", meaning fear. |
| Mongolian | The Mongolian word "аймшигтай" can also mean "unlucky," "unfavorable," or "unpleasant." |
| Nepali | The word "डरलाग्दो" shares an etymological root with the Sanskrit verb "दृल्ह्" meaning "to hurt" |
| Norwegian | "Fryktelig" comes from the Old Norse "frykta," meaning "to fear," and "lig," meaning "to lie." |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "zoyipa" can also refer to something very bad or unpleasant. |
| Pashto | In addition to its common meaning of "awful," "ځورونکی" can also mean "difficult" or "troublesome." |
| Persian | "Awful" can also mean "respect-inspiring" or "awe-inspiring," with a sense of something that is so great or impressive that it inspires fear or respect. |
| Polish | "Straszny" derives from "strach" (fear) and originally meant "causing fear". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, the word "horrível" originally meant "terrible" or "dreadful" but over time has come to mean "awful" or "bad." |
| Romanian | The Romanian word "îngrozitor" can also mean "frightful" or "terrible". |
| Russian | In Russian, "ужасно" doesn't just mean "awful", but also "excruciating" or "dreadful". |
| Samoan | This word is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word "takari", meaning "to be afraid". |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic word "uamhasach" is cognate with the Old Welsh word "ofn" meaning "fearful, awful". |
| Serbian | The term "грозно" in Serbian means "bad or terrible" and it originates from the Proto-slavic form **gordъ** which also gave Russian *gor’kij* or Polish *gorzki*, meaning "bitter, sharp or sour". |
| Sesotho | "Hampe" is a common euphemism for "bollocks" in Sesotho. |
| Shona | In addition to the primary meaning, zvakaipa can refer to something causing distress; being bad, unpleasant or causing dissatisfaction; a state of suffering, or an act that is considered evil. |
| Sindhi | The word "خوفناڪ" (awful) in Sindhi is derived from the Persian word "خوف" (fear), hence it also means "fearful" or "dreadful". |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The word 'භයානකයි' ('awful') is also used to express fear, terror, and horror in Sinhala. |
| Slovak | "Hrozne" in Slovak is an adjective that can also mean "grapes" or "bunches". |
| Slovenian | In Slovenian, "grozno" also means "grapes". |
| Somali | The term "xun" can refer to something that is unpleasant or offensive, but it can also carry the connotation of being dangerous or potentially harmful. |
| Spanish | The Spanish word "horrible" ultimately derives from the Latin "horrere," meaning "to bristle" or "to shudder," and is related to the English words "horror" and "horrify." |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "uih pisan" can also be used to express feelings of surprise or amazement. |
| Swahili | The word "mbaya" in Swahili can also mean "bad" or "poor". |
| Swedish | "Förfärlig" derives from "färd" (way, journey), which later meant "danger" or "distress". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "kakila-kilabot" is derived from the words "kilabot" (a shiver or trembling) and "kalila" (a chill or sense of dread). |
| Tajik | The word "даҳшатнок" can also mean "terrible" or "horrible" in Tajik. |
| Tamil | Tamil "மோசமான" ('mosamaana') may also refer to deception, cunning, or trickery, or to something that is not as good as it seems. |
| Telugu | "భయంకర" (bhayamkara) comes from Sanskrit root "भय" (bhaya, 'fear'). It also means 'formidable,' 'terrible,' and 'tremendous'. |
| Thai | 'แย่มาก' comes from the word 'ย่ำ' (to step on) meaning to crush something completely so that it cannot be used anymore. |
| Turkish | "Korkunç" is rooted in "korku," (fear; awe; fright) originating from the 8th-millennium Proto-Turkic verb "*qorq-" ( |
| Ukrainian | The word "жахливо" in Ukrainian derives from the Proto-Slavic "*žalъ", meaning "sorrow, regret, pity". |
| Urdu | The word "خوفناک" also means "frightening" or "dreadful" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | "Dahshatli" is derived from the Persian word "dahshat" which means "terror" or "horror". |
| Vietnamese | The word 'kinh khủng' is derived from the Chinese word 'jing kong', which means 'extreme fear' or 'horror'. |
| Welsh | While the modern Welsh "ofnadwy" means "awful" or "terrible", the word originated as an adjective meaning "fearful" or "dreadful", stemming from the noun "ofn" meaning "fear". |
| Xhosa | The word "eyoyikisayo" in Xhosa can also be used to describe something that is frightening or terrible. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "שרעקלעך" ("awful") is derived from the German word "schrecklich" which means "terrible" and is related to the English verb "to scare". |
| Yoruba | The word "buruju" in Yoruba also means "bad" or "evil" and is derived from the verb "ru," meaning "to spoil" or "to damage." |
| Zulu | The word 'kabi' also means 'bad' in Zulu. |
| English | Etymology: Middle English aweful, from earlier awfull, from Middle English awe, from Old English ege (cognate with Dutch eag, Danish æde). |