1.
awe, dread, reverence
A feeling of deep respect mixed with fear in the presence of something overwhelmingly powerful, vast, or sacred. Combines reverence and a sense of one's own smallness.
自然の力に畏怖を感じた。
I felt awe at the power of nature.
古代の人々は山を畏怖の対象としていた。
Ancient people regarded mountains as objects of awe.
夜空いっぱいに広がる星を見上げたとき、宇宙の広大さに畏怖の念を抱いた。
When I looked up at the stars filling the night sky, I was filled with a sense of awe at the vastness of the universe.
USAGE:
畏怖 is a literary and formal word expressing a blend of fear and reverence. It is often used in philosophical, religious, and literary contexts. The feeling is not simple fear but includes deep respect for something beyond human power.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 畏怖の念 (a feeling of awe)
- 畏怖を感じる (to feel awe)
- 畏怖の念を抱く (to hold a sense of awe)
- 畏怖の対象 (object of awe)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 畏敬: reverence, respect and awe (emphasizes the respect side more)
- 恐怖: fear, terror (pure fear without the reverence component)
- 恐れ: fear, apprehension (general fear, can include awe in literary usage)