1
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
a horrible car accident that left eyewitnesses in a state of shock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horrible
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
What restraint the film has is mostly to be found in an elegant prologue that ramps up to the first of many resourcefully horrible kills, opening in the recent past on a wholesome Egyptian family taking a rural car trip.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Also, this is just a really horrible, insulting offer on Elizabeth’s part.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The compounds concentrated from the lizard’s ant-heavy diet taste horrible and irritate the soft tissues of the mouth.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrible
Adjective
The practice has had horrible consequences for the Black, working class neighborhood where the turbines are located, whose residents are stuck breathing xAI’s noxious exhaust.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026
What restraint the film has is mostly to be found in an elegant prologue that ramps up to the first of many resourcefully horrible kills, opening in the recent past on a wholesome Egyptian family taking a rural car trip.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Also, this is just a really horrible, insulting offer on Elizabeth’s part.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The compounds concentrated from the lizard’s ant-heavy diet taste horrible and irritate the soft tissues of the mouth.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrible
Adjective
-
The charges revealed key details and were among the first concrete public moves made in a grisly and horrific case that had been under a largely secret investigation in the seven months since the body of Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found.—
Andrew Dalton,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
On Thursday, another horrific crime rattled the city —15-year-old Jaden Pierre was beaten and fatally shot at point-blank range in a Queens playground.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of his acts are dangerous or terrifying.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a performance — a terrifying moment that could have ended her career.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The par 3 celebrity caddie idea is awful.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
-
That's going to be awful difficult!—
Ashley Velie,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not terrible, but far from correct.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Matt wasn't so sure, pointing to his record of selling drugs and trafficking weapons, but Foggy argued in favor of giving even someone who has done terrible things a second chance.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And there will surely be a cascade of tears and terrors in-between.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
-
They were included to demonstrate the similarities between cases and the terror that victims were forced to endure.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What follows is a crescendo of bloody madness, including a gruesome toenail cutting scene that shouldn’t be viewed while eating, a grandma being eaten alive by a pack of coyotes and a truly bonkers wake that erupts into laugh-out-loud violence thanks to a pair of dentures.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, The Pitt has blown up in an unlikely way for any cultural object in the 2020s, much less a gruesome medical drama.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Forget about sonic or other frightening devices.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was in itself disgusting but also came to represent the city’s problems.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrible. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
