a. Forms: α. 1 eʓeléas, 3 eȝȝelæs, æielese. β. 4 aȝlez, 6 aweles, 6–7 awlesse, awelesse, 7–9 awless, aweless. [f. AWE sb.1 + -LESS, continuing the sense of OE. ęʓeléas: see AWE sb.1]
1. Without dread; fearless, undaunted, unappalled.
α. c. 885. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., xxxvi. 246. Eʓeléaslicor [adv.]
c. 1205. Lay., 19410. Bruttes … weoren æielese.
β. c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2334. How þat doȝty dredles … stondes Armed ful aȝlez.
1595. Shaks., John, I. I. 266. Against whose fury … The awlesse Lion could not wage the fight.
1852. D. Moir, Cast. Time, v. Wks. II. 392. While the keen knife the aweless Patriarch keeps Unsheathed.
1880. Swinburne, Stud. Song, 38. The awless lord of kings.
2. Without awe; irreverent, presumptuous, rude.
α. c. 1200. Ormin, 6190. Ȝiff þatt ȝho iss gætelæs & eȝȝelæs.
β. 1571. Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, V. i. (1847), 153. Careles of countrey, and aweles of God.
1656. Trapp, Comm. Matt. xi. 29. Christians must not be yokeless, aweless, masterless.
1698. Dryden, Æneid, V. 505 (J.).
| He claims the Bull with awless Insolence; | |
| And having seiz’d his Horns, accosts the Prince. |
a. 1849. J. C. Mangan, Poems (1859), 45. Where lawless force is awless master.
† 3. That inspires no awe. Obs.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., II. iv. 52. Insulting Tiranny beginnes to Iutt Vpon the innocent and awelesse Throne.
1614. T. Adams, Pract. Wks. (1861), I. 231. It is a lawless school where there is an awless monitor.
