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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

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

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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 And the tariffs are a terrible idea in any event, amounting to a consumer tax and interrupting crucial trade. — Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026 These two men out and about trying to get Frasers to join the cause, however, sounds like a terrible time for all involved. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026 That sentiment has emboldened many a celebrant into terrible behavior. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 Martin Sherman’s play Bent (1979), an excoriating account of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals that is also a story of love between two men in the most terrible circumstances, belongs to this select category. — Simon Callow, The New York Review of Books, 19 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
  • Doubs had a horrible debut in the league’s season opener last week against the Seattle Seahawks.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • By the time of the horrible accident in 1829, the deodand was on its way out.
    — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • High-intensity interval training and long-duration intense cardio spike cortisol significantly, and doing them too often without recovery can keep the hormone elevated, but rest and frequency matter more than avoidance.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This extra oceanic warmth is also likely to extend hurricane further into fall, with more intense hurricanes more likely than not through at least early November.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Still, Joe feels responsible and apologizes to Michelle, who, despite probably being in horrific pain, is a very good sport about the whole thing.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Part of a Lavallette, New Jersey, liquor store was boarded up and a bouquet of flowers was left outside Sunday night, somber reminders of a horrific crash that killed a woman a day earlier.
    — Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • The Colts got whacked by the Ravens, and their new-look defense was awful.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In one respect, John Harbaugh seems to have brought winning football back to New York New Jersey Stadium; conversely, the Cowboys’ defense is sufficiently awful to make even the lowliest opponent look like a contender.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • Renovation will only yield temporary improvement unless the original cause of a poor-quality lawn is remedied.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The consequences of a poor performance in the takeaway department sets a very high standard for rookies, something that can only bode well for the future.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Although the encounter itself was terrifying, revelations about Shrine’s past have compounded her fears.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The movie blows up, and so are do lives—in exciting, but also terrifying, ways.
    — Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The second cohort members are all to become part of the intensive acceleration phase that’s steered by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership innovation team, with a concentration on pilot readiness.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The inaugural Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Filmmaker Retreat, a four-day intensive program for filmmakers based in the Mid-South/South, held in partnership with Indie Media Arts South, launching October 10 – 13.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • The scene-stealing role brought her a best supporting actress Oscar nomination, a rarity for comedy — especially given that in the film’s famously gruesome food poisoning set-piece, Megan uses a sink as a toilet.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Lizzie, who was 32 years old at the time and living at home, became the prime suspect in the gruesome murders, and was arrested and charged shortly after their deaths.
    — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 20 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 24 Sep. 2026.

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