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.
The light pollution is going to be horrendous. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 27 May 2026 Despite the horrendous vibes in the galley, the evening goes well. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 May 2026 Of all the horrendous nonsense we were forced to entertain this spring, none of it was more horrendously nonsensical than the idea of people vibe-coding their own cybersecurity solutions. Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 18 May 2026 The latest embarrassment came in Thursday's loss to Philadelphia, when Trevor Story (awful) made another horrendous error late in the game that led to the third and final run of the inning for the Phillies. Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 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 29 May. 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

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster