horrible

adjective

hor·​ri·​ble ˈhȯr-ə-bəl How to pronounce horrible (audio)
ˈhär-
1
: marked by or arousing painful and intense fear, dread, dismay, or aversion : marked by or arousing horror
a horrible accident
2
: extremely bad or unpleasant
a horrible mistake
horrible food
horrible noun
horribleness noun
horribly adverb

Examples of horrible in a Sentence

He suffered a horrible death. The crime scene was too horrible to describe. The team had a horrible season last year. He realized that he had made a horrible mistake.
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.
And in addition to the swing itself, his overall approach at the plate has always been horrible. Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 June 2025 With guidance from Benny’s older sister and her campus-legend boyfriend, Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs. Peter White, Deadline, 16 June 2025 But when Baker answered her phone, the horrible answer to that question began to unfold. Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 15 June 2025 There was only one problem with the offer — Spencer was horrible at wrapping gifts. Michael Nied, People.com, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for horrible

Word History

Etymology

Middle English orible, horrible, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin horribilis, from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle (of hair, weapons, plants), shudder, shiver" + -ibilis "capable of exhibiting or causing (the action of the verb)" — more at horror entry 1, -able

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrible was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Horrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrible. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

horrible

adjective
hor·​ri·​ble ˈhȯr-ə-bəl How to pronounce horrible (audio)
ˈhär-
1
: marked by or arousing horror
2
: extremely unpleasant or bad
horrible food
horribly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on horrible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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