The word awe is a noun, and some people consider it is short for awesome, however, it is not.
Awe is defined as a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.
I use the word awe to describe my first sight of the Grand Canyon, for which I’m still in awe of its beauty, depth, and enormous vastness. As I looked below into the canyon, I was awestruck with fear, wonderment, respect and admiration. I tried to imagine the first pioneers who traversed to the bottom of the canyon.
The word awesome is an adjective, defining something extremely impressive or daunting, inspiring great admiration apprehension or fear.
My Grand Canyon visit was awe-inspiring, but it was eclipsed by the awesome, impressive and inspiring beauty of Glacier National Park. I found admiration in the engineering design of the “Going to the Sun Road” I traversed on my motorcycle.
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