horrid

adjective

hor·​rid ˈhȯr-əd How to pronounce horrid (audio)
ˈhär-
1
: innately offensive or repulsive:
a
: inspiring horror : shocking
horrid living conditions
b
: inspiring disgust or loathing : nasty
a horrid man
c
: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible
the tenor bell … gives out a horrid discordant noiseRobert Graves
2
archaic : rough, bristling
horridly adverb
horridness noun

Examples of horrid in a Sentence

People there are living in horrid conditions. He's a horrid little man.
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 Tigers won two of three against the Mariners early in the season, then got swept by Seattle at home and were outscored 35-14 during a July series that marked the start of a horrid slide. Zack Meisel, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 But the Bengals have a horrid ground game and couldn’t feed the ball consistently to their two best playmakers against the Vikings, and got walloped for it. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025 Indy has beaten up on three teams that are a combined 1-8, two of those team with horrid defenses feeding the legend of Daniel (Indiana) Jones. Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 Legette has just finished Week 2 of his second season and opened it with two horrid games. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horrid

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin horridus "bristly, rough, uncouth, shivering with cold, inspiring dread," from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle (of hair, weapons, plants), shudder, shiver" + -idus, adjective suffix of quality — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrid was in 1590

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrid. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

horrid

adjective
hor·​rid ˈhȯr-əd How to pronounce horrid (audio)
ˈhär-
1
: inspiring horror : shocking
2
a
: arousing disgust : nasty
a horrid man
b
: horrible sense 2
had horrid manners
horridly adverb
horridness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on horrid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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