horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-,
hə-
: 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.
Other than Tomoyuki Sugano who has exceeded my expectations, those results have been horrendous. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2025 An ailing right thumb could explain his shooting woes during the postseason, when the fourth-year guard suffered through a horrendous 0-of-15 shooting slump and shot just 4-of-23 over his last six playoff games. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 May 2025 The trio of power-play goals was even more remarkable given how horrendous the Dallas power play had been through the first two periods — the Stars could barely get any time in the offensive zone with the man advantage, let alone get a shot on goal or a scoring chance. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 21 May 2025 Perhaps in response to demands from those of us in California, where the roads in urban and suburban areas can be truly horrendous, Pagani has added a super-soft mode thanks to the active suspension. Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 14 May 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 28 May. 2025.

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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