1
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
a horrible car accident that left eyewitnesses in a state of shock
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrifying
causing fear
a horrible scream that made shivers go up and down our spines
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
I can never forgive her for the horrible way she treated me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
I'm never going back to that restaurant; the service was horrible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in terror
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrible
Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
There is this cognitive dissonance or horrible things happening in our country.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
That's -- what happened that day was horrible.
—ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
Its white springtime blooms actually smell horrible, and the branching is weak, leaving the tree vulnerable to wind damage.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrible
Adjective
This is just the horrible cherry on top of it all is that it financially can be ruined for people.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
There is this cognitive dissonance or horrible things happening in our country.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 30 Dec. 2025
That's -- what happened that day was horrible.
—ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
Its white springtime blooms actually smell horrible, and the branching is weak, leaving the tree vulnerable to wind damage.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrible
Adjective
-
Wednesday afternoon, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the shooting horrific.—
Ali Bauman,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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From a horrific account of an asteroid hitting Earth to an evil AI computer capable of designing deadly activities, readers will face the dark and mysterious corners of the human experience.—
Jessica Tzikas,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Humans could suddenly step into a box, perhaps hear gears grind, and then exit the box on a different floor—and even as safety features were innovated, that was terrifying.—
Jason Corso,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Madigan's character, the elderly aunt of several of the students, became a cult favorite, both terrifying and delighting audiences.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Kel’el was awful against Jay Huff in Indiana, and albeit in limited minutes, nonetheless had only one rebound at Oklahoma City.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
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One particularly awful story comes from an 81-year-old Alhambra widower who lost $720,000 to a cryptocurrency scam, her entire life savings.—
Caroline Melear,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Often the boarding school is a site for terrible trauma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The family settled in the Chicago area during a terrible snowstorm, a shock to Noorani's parents, who came from the tropical Tanzanian island of Zanzibar.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Even his smile is sinister in the English actor’s current reign of cinematic terror.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
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Nate is now running a construction company, but can be seen in a brief scene, his eyes filled with terror.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Peter offers her not only logic — a picture in which all the parts, however gruesome, fit together — but salvation.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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The prosecution argued that being on drugs didn't excuse the gruesome attack.—
Tony Aiello,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Experts immediately pointed out that Hassett had used a misleading method known as a cubic fit to make the mortality data appear less frightening.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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When the sun went down, the Santa Anas began to blow, and the fire shifted into the familiar, frightening rhythm of inevitability.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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Having snow, slush, and (eventually) water all over my floors was a disgusting feeling.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrible. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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