My English teacher showed us an example of an "exemplary" essay the other day. Personally, I did not like the essay. One thing that annoyed me the most was the use of the word "awesome" in the essay. They did not just use it once, but twice. It just seems so unprofessional and out of place. Here is a section that I took straight out of the essay: "By using an overhead shot the whole room is shown. This demonstrates the beauty of the awesome room." Doesn't it seem a bit strange? Or is it just me?

Well awesome is actually a dictionary word used to describe things or feelings of immense beauty or power. The word has lost some of its professional meaning since it's use as slang. Like here for example "that play was awesome man" or "dat trick was so totally awesome dude." To me, yes, it does seem somewhat out of place but that's just me. I'm not an English buff so a lot of so called "proper" writing seems odd to me. Here's the dictionary definition according to dictionary.reference.com

awe·some [aw-suhm]
adjective
1.
inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear; causing or inducing awe: an awesome sight.
2.
showing or characterized by reverence, admiration, or fear; exhibiting or marked by awe.
3.
Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome.

It's all in the usage.  "Awesome" can be used in a manner to describe Roman gods, military power, or nature.  If it's used as a popular way to say "cool" or "really neat," there is a problem.

My personal complaint is people using "really" or "Very" in essays.  If you have to say "very hot," that means there is a better word selection for you.  Try scalding, boiling, or something else.  The same goes with really.  "It was really cold outside."  No, no.  Go with freezing, Hoth-like, something else, something better.

Awesome can be used in an essay if applied correctly.  Very and really have no place whatsoever.

I don't feel it to be unprofessional at all. Remember, the word awesome was a word before it was a slang term. It was once a word that was only used to describe something that left one in awe. Now, because it has been used as a slang term, the meaning of the word has lessened. It doesn't carry that same strong context. However, if you don't look at the word in the stripped down meaning it has as a slang term, and look at it in the context that it was supposed to be, then it doesn't really look out of place. But some can't look past it. A word like that will always look out of place because they grew up with the word being lessened by slang use. That slang context is the only way they have ever seen the word. So that is how they will always see it, even when used in the original context.

Well, I don't think the use of the word "awesome" takes away from the essay, but it certainly doesn't make it good either.

I feel like the two sentences you've given us are a bit choppy, and unnecessarily separated.

"By using an overhead shot the whole room is shown."

First off you really shouldn't use "is shown" in professional essays. Most essays on that level should avoid use of "to be." In fact, one of the English teachers at my school would count kids off if they used that verb in some of their essays.

"This demonstrates the beauty of the room."

Now here our mystery author decided to use the word "demonstrates" because they probably realized they had just used the word "shown" and didn't want to be repetitive. Honestly though, it would be much simpler to just combine the two sentences and take out the excess words.

"The overhead shot showed off the room's beauty."

Quick, easy, and to the point.

My essay is called: Everything is awesome. Everything is awesome, everything is stylish and cool. I love my home, it is unregulated no doom. everything is awesome, everything is stylish and fun. everything is awesome, even when you got to trade your lung. everything is awesome. Awesome, awesome. I love my lifeeeeeeee.

jmurphy1318 : 1, what does that have to do with anything? 2, If you handed that in to me as an essay I would fail you on the spot.

tgags123 : He is just trolling. The entire point of that post was to get a response.

"By using an overhead shot the whole room is shown. This demonstrates the beauty of the awesome room." The essay writer used the word correctly, thereby making the usage of the word "awesome" correct. I find nothing wrong with the usage of the word in an essay, though many people may say otherwise. You say the word's usage seems strange, however, I believe that the word is fine, assuming that it's being used correctly. The word "awesome" is used quite frequently as a slang term, and I too use the word frequently, possibly even excessively, but it all depends on the context. I know that any English teacher I have had through high school would have forced me to remove the word from my writing (even if I used it correctly) or the teacher would have just taken points off of my score (if I were to actually do that). Even so, it would have been fine to use the word, but it all depends on one's perspective and preference.

I think that a different word could be used to finish that sentence, but that is just my opinion, the word isn't really used in the context it was originally intended to be as rcarter said, which is why probably why it sticks out so much. I agree it does seem a bit weird to use it like that, and I definitely think it would be worded better. People misuse the word awesome, they say it like, "Dude your hat looks awesome!" which could be replaced with a different word like cool, or amazing, since it doesn't really cause awe, whereas on the other hand, the establishment of the Roman Empire, or the creation of the Pyramid of Giza is a better situation in which you would use the word awesome. 

''awesome''  can be used in a manner to describe for example nature ,films and many other things

tgags123 : Seems a bit childish to me.

"The cheeseball rolled to the awesome playground."

Sounds a little "2nd grade" work-ish.

jmurphy1318 : Huh? Please relate and post something that is at least a little close to what the thread is about.

But Awesome isn't a bad word for essays and stuff. Everybody once in a while uses Awesome.