1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
it's difficult to even begin to comprehend the horror of the Holocaust
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2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
had never experienced the horrors of war
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3
4
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
imagine my horror at finding myself face to face with a lion on the loose
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5
as in disgust
a dislike so strong as to cause stomach upset or queasiness
cat lover or no, she regards cleaning the litter box with horror
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of horror
When unimaginable tragedy strikes, the tone of Laxe’s film shifts to become an existential horror film, one of the most unforgettable of last year.
—
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Part of the reason is because, as has been noted ad nauseam, although a lot of horror books, movies and TV series don’t know how to end, Boston does not disappoint on that front.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
An all-star cast makes this hilarious horror-comedy a bloody good time!
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
One woman clutched her young, smiling child with a look of pure horror on her face.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horror
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Part of the reason is because, as has been noted ad nauseam, although a lot of horror books, movies and TV series don’t know how to end, Boston does not disappoint on that front.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 31 Mar. 2026
An all-star cast makes this hilarious horror-comedy a bloody good time!
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
One woman clutched her young, smiling child with a look of pure horror on her face.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
Noun
-
Their dream home is still a dream except that these people are making their backyard, their beach, a nightmare.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
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David Mirković is a mismatch nightmare.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When Angie spills the smoothie accidentally, PAT’s floor absorbers are activated, and the mess literally disappears into the floorboards.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Now, to be fair, this season has been a mess from a health standpoint.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Rabbi Irwin Kula, the panel’s moderator, asked the participants to describe their biggest fear or nightmare.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Sacramento community advocates are sounding the alarm over fears of deep city budget cuts that could impact public safety.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
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In the days and weeks following the Hamas massacre of innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, students and colleagues alike in his academic community posted fiery condemnations of and expressions of moral disgust toward … Israel.—
Jesse Brown,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Supporters of both sides have spread bogus images of atrocities or decisive victories that never happened.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The war has been marked by atrocities including mass killings, gang rape and other crimes, which are being investigated by the International Criminal Court as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The public markets’ agony may for the foreseeable future make assets less expensive, while AI urgency remains high.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
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The real fright, though, came midway through that final frame, when star center Dylan Larkin went down in a heap after his skate seemed to catch awkwardly on the ice.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Noise pollution is a real health issue linked to sleep disorders, elevated blood pressure and anxiety.—
Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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