1
as in horrible
causing fear
a horrendous explosion shook the building
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a horrendous breach of good manners that should not escape censure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
emergency room personnel did not flinch even from the most horrendous injuries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrendous
Defensive line coach Andre Patterson, a horrendous influence on the defense, the run defense and the players’ attitudes, leads a host of Giants coaches who have been fired.
—
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Jones made sure to give credit to edge rusher K’Lavon Chassion for forcing Stroud into a horrendous pass.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
What surprised me most, however, was the horrendous quality of the average submission.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2026
If your grout isn't horrendous with dirt or stains, this might be a great cleaner for brightening the lines.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
Jones made sure to give credit to edge rusher K’Lavon Chassion for forcing Stroud into a horrendous pass.
—Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
What surprised me most, however, was the horrendous quality of the average submission.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2026
If your grout isn't horrendous with dirt or stains, this might be a great cleaner for brightening the lines.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrendous
Adjective
-
Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pasquantino later deleted the post, likely because fans noted his expectation about the awful things the Royals could theoretically say about him.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
-
His administration’s actions in Minneapolis have been awful.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With the partial restoration of internet access, people inside the country and others who have left in recent days shared videos and stories with ABC News that shows the horrific nature of the regime's suppression of the protests.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pregnancy and birth carry its own battles and terrifying statistics.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The editorial board then throws in the new scare tactic for good measure at the end, claiming that there is some terrifying epidemic of puking, screaming and hospitalizations as the result of THC use (relying on spotty data, none of which has been linked to THC beverages).—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
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There are also two stepsisters, neither ugly but one quite bratty.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When a spate of gruesome killings that resemble a decades-old crime rock a small town, disgraced detective Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) has a chance to restore his reputation with the help of young upstart investigator Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo).—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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Bianca Belair has been out of action since WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 after suffering a gruesome finger injury.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Huw is also a terrible planner, placing himself in dangerous situations for no discernible reason, refusing to ask for help or call the police at times when calling the police is the most glaringly obvious move, and generally not communicating with anyone.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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At age 55, Riggle once suffered through decades of heartbreak and terrible Chiefs teams.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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At one point a couple of years ago, Microsoft even used malware-like pop-ups in a disgusting overreach.—
Tom Warren,
The Verge,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrendous. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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