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.
Every big city has horrendous traffic. Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025 Experts caution that the often horrendous conditions that drove record numbers of migrants to flee their home countries in search of safety, security and prosperity in the United States have not changed. Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Maye’s resilience fueled his rebound from a horrendous interception early in the second quarter that was equal parts bad decision and bad throw. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025 In a horrendous coincidence, on Monday evening, a man fell from the upper level of Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena during the Pittsburgh Penguins game. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 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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