terrible

adjective

ˈter-ə-bəl How to pronounce terrible (audio)
Definition of terriblenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent that is a terrible movie to let your six-year-old watch

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 terrible As Bohm's trial nears, Thompson has been reliving the memories from that night and the terrible weeks that followed. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026 Last season, Bill Belichick was terrible and Vanderbilt was good. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 The Clippers being terrible will make Ballmer less cool and guarantee a chorus of boos from the $2 billion stadium the team just opened, which is going to be a lot emptier for a while. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026 It was said that the snow came; it was said to be a terrible tale. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
  1. horrible
  2. intense
  3. horrific
  4. awful
  5. poor
  6. terrifying
  7. intensive
  8. gruesome
Adjective
  • Turkish football is a chaotic, infuriating, sometimes horrible but always entertaining place.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The defense says their client had no control over her fatal actions despite the clear planning of the horrible event.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Broadly, the rule of thumb is to drink it during periods of intense competition (to allow for muscle recovery) while avoiding it during periods of training (to promote muscle development).
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Expect Missouri to come out sharper and fired up, as both teams will be for this intense rivalry.
    — PJ Green September 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • For advocates, the law speaks to the horrific circumstances families can endure when a medical issue is misconstrued as abuse.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This is your big opportunity to pay tribute, to be a uniter, not a divider, on the day recalling the horrific events of a quarter century ago.
    — Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • To Morrison, as well as to the filmmakers, this awful backstory makes something cathartic of his accomplishment.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • So the fact that there was this whole section of gay actors who weren’t allowed to do that is awful.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The following season, Chelsea topped their Champions League group, but poor Premier League form saw Mourinho sacked in mid-December.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Many are in poor shape, with thin, uninsulated walls, leaky windows, old or broken swamp coolers and electrical systems that can't always handle air conditioners.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Wolfson has used animation, video, virtual reality, sculpture, and terrifying robotic figures to render technology as a form of psychological torture and slapstick comedy.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For many, the clear skies and beauty of that early autumn morning served as a tragic contrast to the appalling and terrifying events that would unfold.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The result should be better performance at the chip's limits, for graphics-intensive apps and games, and for extended multitasking.
    — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers can use it to run complex simulations, analyze large datasets, and develop compute-intensive AI applications.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • The Menendez brothers, imprisoned 37 years in the gruesome murder of their parents, are getting a second shot at freedom.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Simply to give us the gruesome scene of the kid convulsing to death while leaking blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome

Phrases Containing terrible

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terrestrial
terrible
terribleness
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Cite this Entry

“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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