1
as in nightmares
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
had never experienced the horrors of war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in messes
something unpleasant to look at
are you really going to hang that horror on the wall?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hatreds
a dislike so strong as to cause stomach upset or queasiness
cat lover or no, she regards cleaning the litter box with horror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrors
Derry Girls, which followed teens in McGee’s native Derry in the years preceding 1998’s Good Friday Agreement, was a raucous, joke-dense show that juxtaposed mundane adolescent rites of passage with the daily horrors of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The longer this one has gone on, the more its horrors have hewed to the demands of the show.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The suit is a parade of horrors.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
Curbed On the desperate, poetic horrors of Denis Johnson.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
And yet, in today’s topical songs by legacy rock artists, such elements don’t heighten the immediacy of the day’s horrors but, rather, run them through a sepia-toned filter.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
In Silo, references to a toxic world imply that half a million people were sent underground to protect them from the horrors of a nuclear holocaust.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The horrors of it all are unexplainable.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The longer this one has gone on, the more its horrors have hewed to the demands of the show.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
The suit is a parade of horrors.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
Curbed On the desperate, poetic horrors of Denis Johnson.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
And yet, in today’s topical songs by legacy rock artists, such elements don’t heighten the immediacy of the day’s horrors but, rather, run them through a sepia-toned filter.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
In Silo, references to a toxic world imply that half a million people were sent underground to protect them from the horrors of a nuclear holocaust.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The horrors of it all are unexplainable.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrors
Noun
-
Ilia Malinin’s collapse underscores the crushing psychological pressure of Olympic competition, which can turn childhood dreams into nightmares, even for elite athletes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Most of them are oddly charged, dramatically staged images meant to evoke dreams, nightmares, or fantasies.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Picking dog hair off of my clothes and cleaning up the potty messes outside (and potentially inside) were not my idea of fun.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Avoid jumbled messes by opting for divided organizers or smaller containers when trying to corral tiny items.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hadi’s exceptional attention gives cinematic identity to collective artisanal energy, to the life force of care and devotion that stands outside the agonies of politics, to the spirit that endures a regime and outlives it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Knott’s has unveiled its annual Seasons of Fun calendar that includes events dedicated to Peanuts characters, Boysenberry treats, summertime barbecues, Halloween frights and Christmas cheer.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Dec. 2025
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Audiences just can’t get enough of films that offer frights and scares, or even family-friendly flicks that pay homage to spooky season.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Former Jews deemed insufficiently converted faced the Spanish Inquisition’s tortures.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Bulldogs now set their sights on winning back-to-back Boston City League championships and their fourth in five years.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Winter may still be in full swing, but travelers seeking a warm-weather getaway have their sights set on California.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The victims of prejudice and inequality are always the best guardians of the ramparts that sustain those miseries.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The hulking remains of ARC monstrosities sit amongst the ruins of our world, now peaceful and overgrown with nature.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
10 Dec. 2025
-
When human decency and basic civility fall victim to partisanship and ideology, and abhorrence of violence becomes tempered by political aims, monstrosities and tyrannies become possible.—
Michael Bloomberg,
Twin Cities,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrors. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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