Acknowledge, admit, and declare refer either to oneself or to others; all the other words refer only to one's own knowledge or action. To avow is to declare boldly and openly, commonly as something one is ready to justify, maintain, or defend. A man acknowledges another's claim or his own promise; he admits an opponent's advantage or his own error; he declares either what he has seen or experienced or what he has received from another; he avers what he is sure of from his own knowledge or consciousness; he gives his assurance as the voucher for what he avouches; he avows openly a belief or intention that he has silently held. Avow and avouch take a direct object; aver is followed by a conjunction: a man avows his faith, avouches a deed, avers that he was present. Avow has usually a good sense; what a person avows he at least does not treat as blameworthy, criminal, or shameful; if he did, he would be said to confess it; yet there is always the suggestion that some will be ready to challenge or censure what one avows; as, the clergyman avowed his dissent from the doctrine of his church. Own applies to all things, good or bad, great or small, which one takes as his own. Compare [CONFESS]; [STATE].
Antonyms:
| contradict, | deny, | disavow, | disclaim, | disown, | ignore, | repudiate. |
AWFUL.
Synonyms:
| alarming, | direful, | frightful, | majestic, | solemn, |
| appalling, | dread, | grand, | noble, | stately, |
| august, | dreadful, | horrible, | portentous, | terrible, |
| dire, | fearful, | imposing, | shocking, | terrific. |
Awful should not be used of things which are merely disagreeable or annoying, nor of all that are alarming and terrible, but only of such as bring a solemn awe upon the soul, as in the presence of a superior power; as, the awful hush before the battle. That which is awful arouses an oppressive, that which is august an admiring reverence; we speak of the august presence of a mighty monarch, the awful presence of death. We speak of an exalted station, a grand mountain, an imposing presence, a majestic cathedral, a noble mien, a solemn litany, a stately march, an august assembly, the awful scene of the Judgment Day.