horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs 

hä-, 

hə-

: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible, dreadful

His audition was horrendous.

horrendous crimes

horrendously adverb

Synonyms of horrendous

• horrible
• terrifying
• terrible
• formidable
• frightening
• scary

Examples of horrendous in a Sentence

Her taste in clothes is horrendous.

a horrendous explosion shook the building

Recent Examples on the Web

Villa’s slow start is offset by our horrendous recent record at Villa Park, including the painful end of our European dream. — Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

But if the Jets get off to another horrendous start, would Glenn still be the coach? — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

But Gaza, however horrendous, is not the same as the Holocaust. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026

Mind you, some parents do hate their children, and the worst ones even give birth for horrendous reasons, like selling their babies for drugs. — Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for horrendous

• stupendous
• tremendous
• rendus

Kids Definition

horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs 

hä-, 

hə-

: dreadful, horrible

horrendously adverb