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.
Until the 1950s, its inmates were Vietnamese revolutionaries – or anyone deemed to be such – and conditions were truly horrendous. Tamara Hinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2026 While Sturm sat Lohrei for the next power play after a similar situation in the loss to Toronto, and could have reasonably benched him after that horrendous sequence, Sturm did put him back on the ice. Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 But her latest act is horrendous and cannot be supported. Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026 The horrendous abuses that took place under Bright Horizon's care were nothing short of despicable. Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026 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 1 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

horrendous

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

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