august
Definitions
Inspiring deep respect and admiration; majestic and dignified
威严的，令人敬畏的，庄严的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin augustus 'consecrated, majestic' — literally 'increased by the gods, full of authority' (from augere). Something august seems to carry divine weight and dignity. The Senate gave Octavian the title Augustus, 'the revered one'; the month August honors him, but the everyday calendar word and the adjective differ in stress (AU-gust the month vs au-GUST the adjective).
Root aug still carries 8 more wordsUsage Guide
Watch the stress: the adjective august is /ɔːˈɡʌst/ (au-GUST), stressed on the second syllable, while the month August is /ˈɔːɡəst/ (AU-gust), stressed on the first. The adjective is literary and formal — used of distinguished people, institutions, and settings (an august body, august presence), not of everyday things.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The ceremony was held in the august surroundings of the old cathedral.
- 2.
She came from an august family of scholars and statesmen.
- 3.
The committee included several august figures from the legal world.
Easily Confused
august (adj., 'majestic') vs August (the month). Same spelling, different stress and meaning — only the month is capitalized and stressed on the first syllable. Don't confuse august with 'gust' (a blast of wind), which is unrelated.