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
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
People sometimes make terrible choices, and those choices should have consequences.
—
Ana Zamora, Time, 3 June 2026
This was a lapse in judgment that was terrible and will have long-lasting effects on this organization.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 3 June 2026
His driving has been terrible this season.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
If Netflix’s hit true crime doc American Nightmare was made a decade ago, the lens would have turned far more to the perpetrator of the terrible crime.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Ana Zamora, Time, 3 June 2026
This was a lapse in judgment that was terrible and will have long-lasting effects on this organization.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 3 June 2026
His driving has been terrible this season.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
If Netflix’s hit true crime doc American Nightmare was made a decade ago, the lens would have turned far more to the perpetrator of the terrible crime.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Russia had vowed more intense attacks and warned foreign diplomats to abandon Kyiv.—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
-
That funding faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, prompting senators to abandon it.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
3 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
-
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
-
That’s an awful lot of people living with life-changing consequences.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
3 June 2026
-
But for a restaurant that serves plenty of dishes seemingly designed for white tablecloths, there’s still an awful lot of eating done with your hands.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 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
-
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
-
For Paul, dragging long sheets of metal was intensive.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
