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 Malerman’s truly terrifying horror novel, 2024’s Incidents Around the House, upon which Other Mommy is based, tells the tale of struggling married couple Ursula and Ross and their young daughter, Bela. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026 Hours later, vandals smashed scores of windows around the corner and ransacked stores as neighbors watched in horror from apartments above. — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 Officers conducting a routine security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) uncovered a chilling object that seemed straight out of a horror movie. — Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026 The event starts Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, with up to 20,000 horror fans in attendance. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 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
  • Six of its journalists were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, who reported on atrocities during the second Chechen War at the start of Putin’s first term as Russian president.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Both as heir apparent and now as king, Charles has spoken about the atrocity of slavery during visits to Ghana, Barbados, Rwanda and Bermuda.
    — Brooke N. Newman, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • California dreams and nightmares The Cheesecake Factory is a punchline.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But Florida’s Halloween nightmare keeps coming back wearing a red visor, flashing that devilish smirk and getting the last laugh.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • In the city of Hurricane in far southwestern Utah, a shipping container drifting down a street gave way Friday to a mess of mud and debris to be cleaned up as people who had evacuated earlier in the week returned home.
    — MEAD GRUVER, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • General manager Les Snead is also culpable for this mess of a season, trading for Myles Garrett, who has done absolutely zero for this team.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • Fortune recently reported on wealthy parents’ growing fear that their fortunes will sap their children’s drive.
    — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Coupled with job-displacement fears from AI, opponents now point to the facilities as a physical symbol of who benefits from the boom and who gets stuck with the bill.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • In those days, the general tone of progressive punditry on the subject was somewhere between dark humor and disgust.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Also, keep extra toilet paper visible, your hand soap full and some air freshener on the counter, so everyone can use the bathroom without embarrassment or disgust.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgust
Noun
  • An offense run by a coach of McVay's stature should not struggle in as many basic aspects as this one did Sunday — and much of that awfulness was due to McVay's erratic play-calling and Stafford's inconsistent decisions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of awfulness
Noun
  • The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The daughters of burning witches were sometimes made to stand close to the pyre, being whipped by locals while watching their mothers die in agony.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • The insurance company covering the promotion must have had a fright because there were 381 purchases worth more than $450,000 that had to be repaid, as The Star reported at the time.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The fright of theme drought had subsided for now, but as with any horror villain, there’s always the danger of a sequel.
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 28 Oct. 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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