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

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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

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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 The wheels almost came off the bus after Thursday's terrible session for tech stocks. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026 Sean Young, who played my wife, had a terrible relationship with Charlie and pretty much everyone else besides me. — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026 Not only are those objectively terrible ideas, but chains of title put guardrails on what studios can do with many iconic characters. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 Moreover, the destruction of Palestinian life and society, still ongoing, will one day force a terrible reckoning within Israel. — Dahlia Scheindlin, Time, 7 Oct. 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
  • Despite the identically horrible records, these teams are in different places.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In all, the Dodgers drowned out that horrible tomahawk chop with some mighty hacks of their own, winning 3-1 while finally displaying some of the desperation that had been missing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Through it all, Pi-o and Jeong-yo’s intense, often tender relationship serves as a throughline, bringing many viewers to question if the Netflix series qualifies as a boys’ love (aka BL) drama.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Castle of Oia is also lovely—though the sunset-seeking crowds can be intense.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone who is affected by this horrific incident.
    — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In late August, a horrific but fortunately injury-free blaze at the Folsom Flea Market wreaked havoc on a number of small local businesses operating out of the space.
    — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • When Moore left the game after an awful hit from a USC linebacker, Raiola stepped up and looked even better.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But coming off the back of that, there was all of this legislation that was pretty awful and generally, there were a lot of homophobic attitudes, still quite extreme, even as late as the 1990s.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • Europe is expected to have a particularly poor corn harvest and needs larger imports just as its demand for feed remains high.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Reese is known as a poor shooter, and is often mocked for missing easy shots in games.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • As an actress, a character like that was thrilling and terrifying.
    — William Earl, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Alas, Hersh was to miss the flight because he was still being held hostage, starving, tortured, and surviving on that date in terrifying confinement.
    — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The Reaveys spent Callum’s early years performing their own intensive physical and speech therapies with him, determined their son would roll over, crawl, and learn to say his name.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • These are intensive oral sessions with examiners that are designed to test quick problem-solving and reveal knowledge depth.
    — Reynald Fasciaux, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • Against the backdrop of a gruesome day, the Hebrew-language movie unfolds individual emotions and lives both before and during the attack, everyday problems of course not stopping with the tragedy, just interacting with it.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For centuries, this scene has been believed to show Harold’s gruesome end.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 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 13 Oct. 2026.

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