horror story

noun

: an account of an unsettling or unfortunate occurrence

heard horror stories about recent layoffs

also : something unsettling or unfortunate

his childhood was a horror story

Examples of horror story in a Sentence

We've all heard horror stories about airlines losing people's luggage.

Her childhood was a horror story.

Recent Examples on the Web

What unfolds is a unique horror story that is unbelievably entertaining, psychologically torturing and incredibly fun. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Dog owners have shared horror stories about the lingering stink. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

From sky-high heels and stiff business attire to bulky belts and even barefoot passengers (yes, that happens), these in-flight missteps can lead to unnecessary discomfort—or worse, a hygiene horror story. — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026

Starring Sadie Sink and Zoë Kravitz, the interactive, immersive horror story isn’t a video game in the sense that most people might be familiar with — there’s no console to buy or controller to learn. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for horror story

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory