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.
To a certain extent, this entire video craze feels like a psy-op—a distraction from the actual horrendous things going on in the world. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2025 Expected to replace closer Carlos Estevez, who rode free agency to Kansas City, Romano had a horrendous first month, pitching to a 13.50 ERA (that’s no typo). Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Fast forward to Monday and McKenzie is no longer with the organization, as he was designated for assignment after a horrendous start to this season. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025 Courtesy of subject Not gonna lie: that regrowth process was nothing short of horrendous and lengthy. Liz Krieger, Allure, 15 Apr. 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 3 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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