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
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.
Nick Benz-Bushling never imagined that managing his son’s mental health care would turn into a real-life horror story. Kate Snow, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025 Others swapped their own horror stories of letters and packages arriving months—or even years—after being sent. Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 There is no shortage of horror stories, like a 24/7 hum coming from the buildings, keeping Virginia residents up at night, Business Insider reports, or when kitchen taps ran dry in Georgia after Meta built a facility nearby, The New York Times reports. Senior Reporter, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025 American colleagues who were able to attend invariably had horror stories to tell. D. Scott Schmid, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horror story

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horror story was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horror story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror%20story. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on horror story

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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