1
as in horrible
causing fear
a terrible nightmare that woke me up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I have a terrible headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
that is a terrible movie to let your six-year-old watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in awful
extremely unsatisfactory
this nonfat ice cream is terrible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in poor
of low quality
manufactures terrible clothes that often tear after a single wash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrible
Is this an inspired or terrible idea?
—
Clio Chang, Curbed, 4 Feb. 2026
Nonsense, your buddy is probably a terrible driver anyway.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 4 Feb. 2026
This is the other thing that’s terrible about Angelica.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Emergency medical care in this country is terrible.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Clio Chang, Curbed, 4 Feb. 2026
Nonsense, your buddy is probably a terrible driver anyway.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 4 Feb. 2026
This is the other thing that’s terrible about Angelica.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Emergency medical care in this country is terrible.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
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The killing and execution of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the horrible lies perpetuated by this government are abhorrent.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2026
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Someone should start talking about improving the state’s horrible inability to attract fellow Americans.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This looming impasse between baseball and its players’ union stands to make for some intense labor negotiations.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Corporate succession has been fraught at Disney — and the subject of intense speculation across Hollywood in recent years.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With the partial restoration of internet access, people inside the country and others who have left in recent days shared videos and stories with ABC News that shows the horrific nature of the regime's suppression of the protests.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some offer a peek at my encounters backstage while waiting for the curtain to come up on me, while others pull back the curtain to share the raw truth about one of the most awful experiences in my private life.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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And finally… The death of seven PAOK supporters in a road accident last week was an unspeakably awful tragedy, and one that will hang over the club for a long time.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The latest information from the National Council on Problem Gambling shows adolescent problem gambling leads to a complex mix of criminal behavior, poor academic achievement, truancy, financial problems, depression, suicide and substance abuse.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
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Congratulations to Umpire Engzell for being virtually the only person to call her out on her poor tennis behavior.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After reviewing footage from monitoring cameras set up in the child’s room, the father, who has not been publicly identified, saw a terrifying incident of violence against his son, which had taken place two days earlier, according to authorities.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Many mothers in the Twin Cities marched the streets in the wake of the murders and terrifying kidnappings by ICE, and many mothers organized in other ways, moving food and money to food shelves, families sheltering-in-place, and rent relief funds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While neighboring vineyards resorted to grafting their vines onto pest-resistant American roots, DRC used various intensive strategies to keep its original European vines intact, at least until the 1940s.—
Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The company later focused strictly on music supervision for music-intensive shows such as American Idol, to which Kaye contributed for more than 15 years.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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The 16th century eponymous Danish princess (voiced by Mana Ashida) loses her father, King Amleth (Masachika Ichimura), to a gruesome betrayal.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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