horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-,
hə-
: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible, dreadful
His audition was horrendous.
horrendous crimes
horrendously adverb

Examples of horrendous in a Sentence

Her taste in clothes is horrendous. a horrendous explosion shook the building
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The result of those horrendous 1992 seasons placed the Patriots and Seahawks atop the 1993 NFL Draft. Jim Reineking, USA Today, 13 May 2025 The Pittsburgh Pirates finally made the decision to fire their manager, Derek Shelton, following a horrendous start to the season. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025 And hockey culture is horrendous about promoting its star players; the desires of the team president, the league and TV executives is a bicycle colliding with an 18-wheeler. Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 May 2025 Some of these offenders, despite these horrendous actions before and after Jan. 6, walk free from Trump’s blanket pardon. Robert Weiner and Katherine White, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for horrendous

Word History

Etymology

Latin horrendus "inspiring terror or awe, dreadful" (gerundive of horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver") + -ous — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrendous was in 1659

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrendous. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

horrendous

adjective
hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-,
hə-
horrendously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on horrendous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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