1
as in horrible
causing fear
a horrendous explosion shook the building
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2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a horrendous breach of good manners that should not escape censure
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3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
emergency room personnel did not flinch even from the most horrendous injuries
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrendous
The Rockies' horrendous start to the season is the worst 50-game start in the modern MLB era.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
Such a prioritization not only protects the largest number of lives and homes, but recognizes that the horrendous damage caused by wildfires triggers increased homeowner insurance premiums for all Californians and motivates insurers to flee the state.
—Daniel Kolkey, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
Other than Tomoyuki Sugano who has exceeded my expectations, those results have been horrendous.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2025
An ailing right thumb could explain his shooting woes during the postseason, when the fourth-year guard suffered through a horrendous 0-of-15 shooting slump and shot just 4-of-23 over his last six playoff games.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
Such a prioritization not only protects the largest number of lives and homes, but recognizes that the horrendous damage caused by wildfires triggers increased homeowner insurance premiums for all Californians and motivates insurers to flee the state.
—Daniel Kolkey, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
Other than Tomoyuki Sugano who has exceeded my expectations, those results have been horrendous.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2025
An ailing right thumb could explain his shooting woes during the postseason, when the fourth-year guard suffered through a horrendous 0-of-15 shooting slump and shot just 4-of-23 over his last six playoff games.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrendous
Adjective
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Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2025
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We were made aware of this horrible activity by Priscilla Olivarez from ILRC, at our annual conference Convening 2025, held in San Antonio.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Even so, some of Lucy’s pronouncements are so truly awful that a blunt snort of laughter is the only response.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
13 June 2025
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Romano moved back into the closer role since the loss of Alvarado, and has alternated awesome and awful performances - his ERA is an unsightly 7.40 to date.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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This is what Qasem Hassan had feared from the start—that the horrific violence inflicted on Israelis on October 7th would be used to justify a war without limits, dehumanizing all Palestinians.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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That this horrific upheaval comes care of Lucy’s work is the real kicker.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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More: Ukraine drone attack shows familiar-looking drones can be terrifying weapons How does the Pentagon, which spends nearly a trillion dollars a year on defense, have such a vulnerability?—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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An apocalyptic wasteland ruled by savage bands of outlaws or a horny computer dork's bedroom — which is more terrifying?—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Tech wealth here looks even less appealing than that of the Roy family (the expensively beige décor is even uglier).—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
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During the negotiation of USMCA in 2018, the current trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that Trump managed during his first term, conversations between the President and GM occasionally turned ugly.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Six decades later, Hamas would engage in a gruesome competition with Fatah to outdo one another with terrorist attacks during the 1990s and early 2000s.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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But Trump and Epstein’s association has been out in the open for nearly a quarter century; nineties-era footage of the gruesome twosome together at Mar-a-Lago, leering at a group of young cheerleaders, has been circulating since at least 2019.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Kids these days have attention spans crushed under the terrible weight of TikTok and Instgram.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Heavy truck traffic has also contributed to terrible pollution in California’s Central Valley.—
Francine Kiefer,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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Conrad wraps the conversation by being incredibly disgusting about Bella’s nether regions.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
1 June 2025
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For the next 200 years, snails only appeared in Parisian cookbooks alongside an apology for including such a disgusting ingredient.—
Garritt C. Van Dyk,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrendous. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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