terrible

adjective

ter·​ri·​ble ˈter-ə-bəl How to pronounce terrible (audio)
ˈte-rə-
Synonyms of terrible
1
: extremely bad: such as
a
: notably unattractive or objectionable
terrible behavior
b
: of very poor quality
a terrible movie
c
: strongly repulsive : obnoxious
a terrible smell
2
a
: difficult
in a terrible bind
b
: formidable in nature : awesome
a terrible responsibility
c
: exciting extreme alarm or intense fear : terrifying
3
: extreme, great
a terrible disappointment
terribleness noun

Synonyms of terrible

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of terrible in a Sentence

Traffic was held up by a terrible accident. I have a terrible cold. The service at that restaurant is terrible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Coming off a season during which Bucky Irving was terrible, Tampa Bay gave Gainwell starting RB money ($14 million over two years). — Michael Salfino, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Although alcoholism is terrible and, in many places, widespread, the vast majority of people who drink are not considered to be addicts. — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026 Why do some people stay in terrible, horrible, no good, very bad jobs? — Joseph Kim, NPR, 22 July 2026 Low interest rates let venture capitalists fund nonsense web businesses and let banks provide junk loans to borrowers with terrible credit. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrible

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin terribilis, from terrēre to frighten — more at terror

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2c

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrible was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing terrible

Rhymes for terrible

See All Rhymes for terrible

Browse Nearby Words

terribilita
terrible
terribleness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrible. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

terrible

adjective
ter·​ri·​ble ˈter-ə-bəl How to pronounce terrible (audio)
1
: causing terror or awe : fearful, dreadful
a terrible disaster
2
a
: very great in degree
made a terrible mess
a terrible cold
b
: very bad in quality
terrible music
terribly
-blē How to pronounce terrible (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on terrible

Nglish: Translation of terrible for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All