horror

noun

ˈhȯr-ər How to pronounce horror (audio)
Definition of horrornext
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
as in mess
something unpleasant to look at are you really going to hang that horror on the wall?

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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

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 horror Audible is adapting the Gothic horror novel for English, Castilian Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 July 2026 Co-written by Berlanti and Wray, who both are under overall deals at WBTV, Stillwater is a mind-bending horror thriller that focuses on ex-con Daniel West. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 July 2026 In January, Mark Fischbach, the YouTuber known as Markiplier, took his horror film Iron Lung into theaters. — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Curry looked at this film as a romance film disguised as a horror film, to explore these more complex emotions rather than just drilling in on the horror. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
  1. atrocity
  2. nightmare
  3. mess
  4. fear
  5. disgust
  6. awfulness
  7. agony
  8. fright
Noun
  • Officials from the United Nations – and the United States – have warned that an RSF ground attack could lead to mass atrocities, possibly on the scale of el-Fasher.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026
  • Break the Bonds is a national effort to end investment in Israel Bonds, financial instruments that act as unrestricted loans to the Israeli government, underwriting Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and beyond.
    — Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • The nightmare grows more and more fierce as guests venture through the haunted house, encountering ferocious Deadites around every turn before succumbing to the evil forces themselves.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • In Harrenhal, Aemond is plagued by nightmares of his (not) dead brother dragging him to hell.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • Stormwater can also wash away gravel and mulch, leaving you with a mess to clean up after every rain.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 July 2026
  • Swap a mess of tiny tea candles for a larger scented candle styled on a tray with a pair of decorative matches.
    — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 18 July 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Saturn stations retrograde in your 12th House of Solitude, asking you to review rest, avoidance, private fears, and the habits that either restore you or keep you quietly overloaded.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026
  • Taken the year after Till’s death, the climate remained highly dangerous for Black people, and Gordon wrote about his fear documenting the inequalities within the city.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • And Anne Hathaway, in a bravura performance, situates Penelope on an emotional precipice, caught between indecision and indignation, between yearning for her husband and a palpable disgust with the alternatives.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • In response, the managing director of the country’s soccer federation resigned in disgust, and the team left South Africa winless after scoring just once in three games.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of disgust
Noun
  • In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of awfulness
Noun
  • Negron shared her agony over losing her brother on social media.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
  • Sadly, in discouraging all the phantom agonies, FIFA inadvertently seems to have done away with the equally farcical phenomenon that is Magic Spray®.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • They were not used to being hunted and had quickly got over their fright.
    — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026
  • Both O’Flynn and Rhys have had spotlight episodes so far this season, but will Emmys voters see the pathos and creativity behind the laughs and frights?
    — William Earl, Variety, 11 June 2026
Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

horrifying
horror
horrors
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Cite this Entry

“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of horror for Spanish Speakers

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