AWFUL, adjective [awe and full.] 1. That strikes with awe; that fills with profound reverence; as the awful majesty of Jehovah. 2. That fills with terror and dread; as the awful approach of death. 3. Struck with awe; scrupulous. A weak and awful reverence for antiquity. Shakespeare uses it for worshipful, inspiring respect by authority or dignity. Our common people use this word in the sense of frightful, ugly, detestable.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI