Awless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Showing no sense of wonder, reverence or fear toward something that would ordinarily inspire it
2. Describing a person who feels no awe, treating grand or sacred things with casual indifference
3. Lacking any feeling of reverence or dread, especially in the presence of something majestic or holy

Etymology: "Awless" is an archaic spelling of "aweless", which in turn comes from Middle English "aweles", formed from "awe" and the suffix "-less". The pairing is the plain meaning of the parts: "awe" plus a suffix meaning "without", so a thing lacking awe is one that does not inspire or feel reverence or wonder. The suffix "-less" is the familiar English ending that turns a noun into an adjective meaning "without" that noun, as in "fearless" or "careless". Attaching it to "awe" gives a compact sense of being without the overwhelmed, reverent feeling that the noun names.

Synonyms: irreverent, disrespectful

Antonyms: reverent