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in awe of, be

in awe of, be idiom

Also, stand in awe of. Respect and revere someone or something, experience a feeling of solemn wonder, as in All of us are in awe of his many achievements. This expression dates from about a.d. 1000 and originally meant “fear something or someone.” Later awe came to mean “dread mingled with respect,” and eventually it signified reverence alone.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.