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
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Recent Examples of horror
Many fans know that the prolific horror author based the setting of his massively popular book turned film franchise, It, on his longtime town, Bangor, Maine.
—
Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
Jordan pulled double duty on Ryan Coogler’s horror epic, playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
And that most certainly is the case in the horror movie genre.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Marking Raimi’s return to the horror genre, Send Help has a script from Mark Swift and Damian Shannon.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
Jordan pulled double duty on Ryan Coogler’s horror epic, playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
And that most certainly is the case in the horror movie genre.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Marking Raimi’s return to the horror genre, Send Help has a script from Mark Swift and Damian Shannon.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
Noun
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People who have extreme nightmares from PTSD can use NightWare, a prescription-only system that comes with a preprogrammed Apple Watch and detects if the wearer is having a nightmare.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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In the decades since, gothic nightmares like Crimson Peak and supernatural horrors like Poltergeist have risen as staples of the subgenre.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And its cemeteries had grown into an overcrowded mess.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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Parchment paper is a great tool for mess-free baking.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The result came after Milei’s party suffered a landslide defeat to the Peronist opposition in a September local vote in the Buenos Aires province, an outcome that sparked a selloff of the peso amid investor fears over the president’s standing with voters.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Harrison expressed deep fears that the White House could take an ax to CPB and public media more broadly.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Coach Dean Evason watched Thursday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche with disgust.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Predictably, this was met with widespread disgust and calls for tighter controls.—
John Toher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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He was joined by Ali Abbas and Ali Ayyoub, two former ministers of defense facing sanctions for human rights violations and atrocities carried out during the conflict.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Only instead of ignoring or burying this awful truth, Kai travels the world, speaking at synagogues and in Jewish community centers about his family’s dark past — and at high schools and colleges to ensure that the atrocities of Nazi Germany are never forgotten or sanitized.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The wife ushers the two frightened boys behind her, and watches on helplessly as her husband screams in agony and terror, thrashing his arms and legs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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Please, more of Isabella lightly teasing Marty about his tendency to flagellate himself while considering the agony of the human condition.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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At that scale, chocolate prices hit with much more of a fright.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
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Attendees will also get to enjoy the 12 pinball machines, racing games, retro games, giant centipede, air hockey, Guitar Hero, hoops, Skee Ball and so much on the night of frights.—
AvidXchange Music Factory,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
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That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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