horrible

1 of 2

adjective

hor·​ri·​ble ˈhȯr-ə-bəl 

ˈhär-

1

: marked by or arousing painful and intense fear, dread, dismay, or aversion : marked by or arousing horror

a horrible accident

2

: extremely bad or unpleasant

a horrible mistake

horrible food

horrible noun

horribleness noun

horribly

ˈhȯr-ə-blē 

ˈhär-

adverb

horribleness

2 of 2

noun

hor·​ri·​ble·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being horrible

Synonyms of horrible

Adjective

• horrific
• gruesome
• terrible
• shocking
• nightmare
• awful

Examples of horrible in a Sentence

Adjective

He suffered a horrible death.

The crime scene was too horrible to describe.

The team had a horrible season last year.

He realized that he had made a horrible mistake.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But the incredible expense of maintaining these habitats — and a series of horrible accidents resulting in a few deaths — led to a pullback in federal funding for the undersea habitat industry. — Alex Harris july 15, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

De Niro and Scott are on hand as an estranged father and son who are brought back together when Scott’s character’s young son is abducted after the pair move back to his sleepy hometown after a horrible tragedy. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 July 2026

The toll was horrible, with some families suffering multiple deaths and injuries. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026

This dogmatic approach to revolutionary citizenship led to the horrible treatment of any perceived as nonconformist, such as LGBTQ people, hippies or punks. — Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English orible, horrible, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin horribilis, from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle (of hair, weapons, plants), shudder, shiver" + -ibilis "capable of exhibiting or causing (the action of the verb)" — more at horror entry 1, -able

Noun

Middle English orriblenesse, horriblenesse, from orrible, horrible + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for horrible

• adorable
• deplorable
• storable

Kids Definition

horrible

adjective

hor·​ri·​ble ˈhȯr-ə-bəl 

ˈhär-

1

: marked by or arousing horror

2

: extremely unpleasant or bad

horrible food

horribly

-blē 

adverb