1
as in horrible
causing fear
a terrible nightmare that woke me up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
June is Gun Violence Prevention Month, and in the wake of the terrible shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that left three victims dead, the topic is as relevant as ever.
—
Catherine Blakespear, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Brought in at three times the cost of Spence, his production and underlying numbers were comparatively terrible.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Who was wielding that terrible swift sword?
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
The current boulevard didn’t look terrible.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Catherine Blakespear, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026
Brought in at three times the cost of Spence, his production and underlying numbers were comparatively terrible.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Who was wielding that terrible swift sword?
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
The current boulevard didn’t look terrible.
—Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
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The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Whether Tuchel will, in fact, be able to produce a more intense high-pressing style this summer, given the climate and the dense schedule, is another matter.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
In 1984, following Operation Blue Star, the assassination of India's prime minister by her Sikh bodyguard triggered horrific mob violence that killed thousands of Sikhs across the country, pushing many more to flee.—
Akash Pamarthy,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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In this true crime documentary, Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and her team examine the timeline leading up to the horrific incident, offering a different explanation behind one of New York's worst motor vehicle accidents.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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There's an awful lot of this nation's history packed into one three-block area in Philadelphia.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Speaking of paperwork, there’s an awful lot of it in this episode.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Inside the building, a terrifying hourslong ordeal was just beginning for those who couldn’t get out.—
Maria Aguilar Prieto,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Some things in life are fundamentally different in ways that no one ever realizes ahead of time, and the amazing feeling of G-forces in my butt, very like flying on the ground, was at once a 10/10 gratifying and terrifying experience.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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For Paul, dragging long sheets of metal was intensive.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
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Distillation is a process in which a small, less resource-intensive model learns to mimic a large, expensive one.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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