A friend who calls the pizza awesome means great, and fantastic would say the same thing. A writer who calls a storm's power awesome means it inspires awe, which breathtaking or magnificent carries and terrific does not. Mixing the two misfires: a staggering pizza sounds alarmingly large, and calling the Grand Canyon cool undersells it.
Best synonyms for awesome
Great, excellent (casual praise)
Awe-inspiring, overwhelming
- breathtaking
- magnificent
- majestic
- spectacular
- awe-inspiring
- stunning
- staggering
- imposing
- formidable
- sublime
Which synonym should you use?
| If you mean… | Best alternatives |
|---|---|
| Praise for food, a plan, or a person | great, fantastic, terrific |
| Praise in a review or reference | excellent, outstanding, superb |
| Relaxed approval of an idea | cool, great |
| A view that stops you short | breathtaking, stunning, spectacular |
| Grand scale or splendor | magnificent, majestic, imposing |
| Power that feels intimidating | formidable, imposing, staggering |
| Numbers or results that shock | staggering, incredible |
| Beauty beyond ordinary description | sublime, breathtaking |
Awesome synonyms explained
1. Great
The plain, all-purpose replacement, natural in speech and acceptable in most writing. It is milder than awesome or fantastic and cannot carry the awe meaning.
Best used when: You are praising a meal, a movie, or an idea in everyday talk.
The new coffee place on Main Street is great.
2. Amazing
The closest match to awesome because it also works in both meanings: casual praise and real astonishment. It is stronger than great and less formal than excellent.
Best used when: You want enthusiasm that also hints at surprise.
Her recovery after the surgery has been amazing.
3. Fantastic
A step up from great, warm and emphatic. Unlike amazing, it doesn't suggest the thing surprised you.
Best used when: You are thanking or congratulating someone for good work.
You did a fantastic job on the presentation.
4. Terrific
Cheerful, hearty approval at about the level of fantastic. It only praises; it never carries awe.
Best used when: You are describing a good time, a good result, or a good person.
We had a terrific time at the lake.
5. Excellent
Judges quality against a standard, so it suits reviews, grades, and references. It sounds stiff next to awesome in casual talk, where great fits better.
Best used when: You are evaluating work or service in a semi-formal setting.
Her essay was excellent, with clear evidence in every paragraph.
6. Cool
Relaxed approval that sounds like a shrug next to awesome. It is quieter than great and fits spoken, easygoing exchanges only.
Best used when: A friend tells you good news and you want to sound easygoing.
You got us tickets? That's cool.
7. Breathtaking
Names the reaction: beauty or skill so striking it stops you. It usually describes something you see or hear, and it is narrower than magnificent, which praises the grandeur of the thing itself.
Best used when: You are describing a view, a performance, or a feat that left you speechless.
The view from the ridge at sunrise was breathtaking.
8. Magnificent
Praises splendor and grand scale in the object itself: palaces, orchestras, mountain ranges. It is a little formal, and it is about the thing rather than your reaction, unlike breathtaking.
Best used when: Something is large, rich, and impressive in design.
The cathedral's magnificent ceiling drew every visitor's eyes upward.
9. Majestic
Dignified, stately grandeur: old trees, mountains, eagles, processions. It is quieter than spectacular, which implies show and drama.
Best used when: You are describing something grand that stays calm and still.
A majestic oak stood alone at the edge of the field.
10. Spectacular
Visually dramatic and often tied to an event or display: fireworks, a sunset, a game-winning goal. It is showier than majestic and can also work as plain strong praise.
Best used when: The thing was a dramatic sight or a standout performance.
The fireworks finale was spectacular.
11. Staggering
Awe at size, amount, or difficulty: it overwhelms rather than pleases, so it fits cost, scale, and talent but not a pizza. It pairs with nouns like scale, amount, and cost.
Best used when: A number, distance, or achievement is almost too big to take in.
The staggering scale of the flood relief effort surprised even the volunteers.
12. Formidable
Carries the respectful-fear side of awesome: power or ability that would be hard to face or beat. It rarely works as plain praise, and it sits closer to imposing than to great.
Best used when: You are describing an opponent, a skill, or an obstacle that commands respect.
Correct: Her formidable memory for names impressed the whole committee.
Incorrect: The soup was formidable, so I asked for seconds.
The second sentence is wrong: formidable describes something intimidating to face, never something tasty. Use excellent or great for the praise: The soup was excellent, so I asked for seconds.
13. Awe-inspiring
Spells out the awe meaning of awesome directly, and it is more formal and heavier than breathtaking. Keep the hyphen both before a noun and after a verb.
Best used when: You are writing about nature, great achievements, or acts of courage.
The astronauts called their first view of Earth from orbit awe-inspiring.
FAQ
Is it wrong to use awesome for things that aren't awe-inspiring?
No. In American English the casual meaning of "great" is standard in speech and informal writing. In an essay, report, or formal review, a word like excellent or outstanding sounds more serious.
Why do some dictionaries list awful as a synonym of awesome?
They include a literary meaning of awful, "inspiring awe," that you may meet in older poetry and prose. In modern American English awful means very bad, so never swap it in for awesome.