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

The horror story Americans tell about socialized medicine is the wait. — Mariska Breland, STAT, 4 Nov. 2026

Adolescence is a period of life that’s particularly conducive to relating to horror stories, and our emotions are at their peak. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026

This time a further collaboration with Peach Momoko, which will explore and be inspired by Japanese horror stories. — John Bleasdale, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026

For most of us, Bernal’s vision of progress is a horror story. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 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