horror story

noun

: an account of an unsettling or unfortunate occurrence

heard horror stories about recent layoffs

also : something unsettling or unfortunate

his childhood was a horror story

Examples of horror story in a Sentence

We've all heard horror stories about airlines losing people's luggage.

Her childhood was a horror story.

Recent Examples on the Web

But buying tickets on the secondary market sites that are not part of FIFA’s resale system is now loaded with horror stories of people paying for fraudulent seats. — Mac Engel july 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026

Every few years, hotel kettle horror stories make the rounds online, including in 2020, when a Reddit user took to the Life Pro Tips subreddit to warn people about them. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026

What unfolds is a unique horror story that is unbelievably entertaining, psychologically torturing and incredibly fun. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Dog owners have shared horror stories about the lingering stink. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for horror story

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory