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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horror
Boyle’s most recent film, the Japanese-language horror film Never After Dark, premiered at SXSW to critical buzz and took home the Audience Award in the Midnighter section.
—
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Known for her work in the horror genre, Mersten’s screenplays have been recognized at festivals including the Austin Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and Flickers’ Rhode Island.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
Jeff Goldblum is perfect as the lanky mad scientist doing nude experiments in his warehouse lab, and his wide-eyed transformation into the horny, sugar-hungry man-fly underlines the weird anxieties that Cronenberg always brings to body horror.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Where to watch: Shudder 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horror
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
Known for her work in the horror genre, Mersten’s screenplays have been recognized at festivals including the Austin Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and Flickers’ Rhode Island.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
Jeff Goldblum is perfect as the lanky mad scientist doing nude experiments in his warehouse lab, and his wide-eyed transformation into the horny, sugar-hungry man-fly underlines the weird anxieties that Cronenberg always brings to body horror.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
Where to watch: Shudder 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2'
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
Noun
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Their evident fondness for one another, glowing warmly alongside all their sniping and whispering and eye-rolling, allows all the nightmares in Big Mistakes to feel like a lark rather than an incipient calamity.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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The couple's life has gone from something out of a postcard to the stuff of nightmares after Lynette Hooker went missing during a nighttime Bahamas boat trip.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Small improvements compound over the course of the day — picking up a mess here, choosing the healthier option there.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The way the changing room was designed, Mitchell had to run through the galley-style showers to wash the mess off.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Nearly a quarter of New Orleans residents live in poverty, and the prospect of a substantial windfall for a few hours’ work apparently outweighed any fear of getting into a car that was about to take part in a high-speed accident.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Esther says Kim had shared her fear of Terry Rose well before her disappearance.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Voters expressed more than the usual amount of disgust with both parties.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The disorientation and disgust that so many people experienced in response to Trump’s thundering, violent proclamations is important.—
Stephanie A,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The company's pictures have been used to help track atrocities in Syria, document previous attacks by Iran, and chronicle Israel's destruction of Gaza.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
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By compiling a vast database of this material and sharing it through impactful social videos, the project has reached millions, providing vital eyewitness testimonies and interactive resources to document the atrocities faced by the people of Gaza.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The agony of America’s post-1945 wars has been their gradual inducement of a sense of futility.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
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As young fans gripped their face in agony, the older faces held their palms up in knowing shrugs.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dark, eerie, and paranoid (for good reason), the eight-episode season shifts back and forth from the casual grimness of an unwelcoming reality to the shocking frights of a stoner’s worst nightmare (the latter of which is shrewdly motivated by Rachel regularly smoking pot).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
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The real fright, though, came midway through that final frame, when star center Dylan Larkin went down in a heap after his skate seemed to catch awkwardly on the ice.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Last year’s Public Service Commission flips were a blaring warning sign in a cycle dominated by voter anxiety over affordability and utility costs.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
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For weeks, Hilton and Bianco have led polls while eight prominent Democrats including Swalwell split the support of liberal voters, stoking anxiety among Democrats that the party could end up shut out of the November election.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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