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horrible
[ hawr-uh-buhl, hor- ]
adjective
- causing or tending to cause horror; shockingly dreadful:
a horrible sight.
Synonyms: repellent, horrendous, horrid, repulsive, revolting, shocking, ghastly, grim, hideous, frightful, appalling, awful, terrible
Antonyms: attractive
- extremely unpleasant; deplorable; disgusting:
horrible living conditions.
horrible
/ ˈhɒrəbəl /
adjective
- causing horror; dreadful
- disagreeable; unpleasant
- informal.cruel or unkind
Derived Forms
- ˈhorribleness, noun
Other Words From
- horri·ble·ness noun
- horri·bly adverb
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of horrible1
Example Sentences
"The hospice makes what should be a really horrible time as joyful as it can be," she added.
Mr Cottrell also said he had been faced with a "horrible and intolerable" situation and that it was "awful to live with and to manage".
"But we have an opportunity as police officers, as paramedics, as emergency services, to leave some form of a positive legacy to this horrible, horrible, event."
"And then hearing all the glass falling and feeling it, it was horrible."
“Being bald is OK, but going bald is horrible,” says Stuart Heritage, journalist and author of “Bald: How I Slowly Learned to Not Hate Having No Hair.”
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Related Words
More About Horrible
What does horrible mean?
Horrible is popularly used to mean extremely bad—awful, dreadful, or horrendous.
When it’s used to describe a person, it often means extremely disagreeable or cruel.
Much less commonly, it can mean literally causing horror—horrifying or horrific.
Example: Everyone seems to like that restaurant, but I had a horrible experience there—bad food and even worse service.
Where does horrible come from?
The first records of the word horrible come from around 1300. It comes from the Latin horribilis, which ultimately derives from the Latin verb horrēre, meaning “to tremble” or “to bristle with fear” (a reference to one’s hair standing on end due to extreme fear). Horrēre is also the basis of the word horror and the related words horrific, horrifying, and horrid.
Horrible is most popularly used to simply mean “really bad,” in much the same way that terrible and awful are often used, as in I had a horrible time at that party—no one would talk to me! Sometimes, though, horrible means truly horrific or horrifying, as in In my 30 years on the job, I’ve never seen a crime scene more horrible than this. Real-life horror-like violence can be described as horrible, but you wouldn’t call a horror movie horrible to mean it was really scary—you’d probably call it horrifying or terrifying. If it was really stupid and poorly made, though, then you could call it horrible. (Unless it was so bad that it was good, in which case you might call it terrific!)
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to horrible?
- horribly (adverb)
- horribleness (noun)
What are some synonyms for horrible?
What are some words that share a root or word element with horrible?
What are some words that often get used in discussing horrible?
How is horrible used in real life?
The word horrible is always negative, but it’s commonly used in both serious and not-so-serious contexts.
"It's the cold fish dying in your stomach feeling. You try to forget about it, but as soon as you do, the fish starts flopping around under your heart and reminds you that something truly horrible is happening."
― Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being (2013) pic.twitter.com/WWbkvio1Cj
— Is it quotable? (@isitquotable) July 24, 2020
Nothing annoys me more than when a book I love becomes a movie and it’s horrible 😒
— samantha kate (@sammyvanriper) June 27, 2020
This horrible weather is making me want to stay in my pjs & hide away all day 🌚🌚
— laur (@LaurynBeck) June 30, 2020
Try using horrible!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of horrible?
A. awful
B. terrible
C. lousy
D. delightful
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