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
Restaurant workers too have shared horror stories on Reddit about demanding customers and drunken misbehavior.
—
Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 13 Oct. 2023
Her mind games put a new spin on preteen horror stories.
—Jill Pellettieri, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
Staying in 📖 Review: Britney Spears’ memoir is a Gothic horror story.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2023
Facebook Show more sharing options This month, San Diego theater audiences are lucky enough to see two Jeffrey Hatcher plays adapted from 19th-century horror stories.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2023
As negotiators were in the bargaining room, a popular Instagram account, IATSE Stories, emerged, telling anonymous horror stories about working conditions, while in October of that year Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot, reigniting conversations about crew set safety.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2023
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Travel horror stories of passengers stranded on planes for hours in the heat will motivate everyone to pack their own personal cooling system.
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023
Starring Octavia Spencer, this film is a horror story about a lonely woman who befriends a group of teenagers.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 1 Oct. 2023
After my father died of cancer in 1962, Frankenstein and any number of other horror stories became meditations for me on what was beyond and what came back, but never should have.
—Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023
See More
Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 13 Oct. 2023
Her mind games put a new spin on preteen horror stories.
—Jill Pellettieri, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
Staying in 📖 Review: Britney Spears’ memoir is a Gothic horror story.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2023
Facebook Show more sharing options This month, San Diego theater audiences are lucky enough to see two Jeffrey Hatcher plays adapted from 19th-century horror stories.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2023
As negotiators were in the bargaining room, a popular Instagram account, IATSE Stories, emerged, telling anonymous horror stories about working conditions, while in October of that year Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot, reigniting conversations about crew set safety.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Oct. 2023
Buy Now On Amazon $39.99 Portable Fan, Charger and Flashlight (48% Off)
Travel horror stories of passengers stranded on planes for hours in the heat will motivate everyone to pack their own personal cooling system.
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 10 Oct. 2023
Starring Octavia Spencer, this film is a horror story about a lonely woman who befriends a group of teenagers.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 1 Oct. 2023
After my father died of cancer in 1962, Frankenstein and any number of other horror stories became meditations for me on what was beyond and what came back, but never should have.
—Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horror story.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1937, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to horror story
Dictionary Entries Near horror story
Cite this Entry
“Horror story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror%20story. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on horror story
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about horror story
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