horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-
hə-
Synonyms of horrendousnext
: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible, dreadful
His audition was horrendous.
horrendous crimes
horrendously adverb

Examples of horrendous in a Sentence

Her taste in clothes is horrendous. a horrendous explosion shook the building
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.
If your grout isn't horrendous with dirt or stains, this might be a great cleaner for brightening the lines. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026 Tyreek Hill, for one, suffered a horrendous, left knee injury in Week 4. Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026 Like, my cooking is horrendous. Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 There were legitimate flashes of competent football on defense in Saturday night’s loss, but the combination of horrendous play-calling, pre-snap errors, bad snaps, and bad quarterback play killed any chance to be competitive. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 29 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horrendous

Word History

Etymology

Latin horrendus "inspiring terror or awe, dreadful" (gerundive of horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver") + -ous — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrendous was in 1659

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrendous. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

horrendous

adjective
hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-
hə-
horrendously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on horrendous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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