1
as in horrible
causing fear
a horrendous explosion shook the building
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a horrendous breach of good manners that should not escape censure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
emergency room personnel did not flinch even from the most horrendous injuries
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrendous
What a horrendous betrayal by our closest ally… just tragic.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
The Browns are coming off a horrendous 3-14 season, where quarterback Deshaun Watson, who struggled mightily, tore his Achilles to end his season prematurely.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2025
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) An unconscionable 107 minutes long, The Boss Baby: Family Business is horrendous on just about every level.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The blinding conditions and blowing snow were horrendous.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for horrendous 
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
The Browns are coming off a horrendous 3-14 season, where quarterback Deshaun Watson, who struggled mightily, tore his Achilles to end his season prematurely.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2025
The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) An unconscionable 107 minutes long, The Boss Baby: Family Business is horrendous on just about every level.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The blinding conditions and blowing snow were horrendous.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for horrendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrendous
Adjective
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Meanwhile the parents had suffered years of horrible harassment and death threats from Jones’ followers.—
Rochelle Eastman,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
His death was so horrible that people still don’t talk about it.—
Julie Seabaugh,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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My heart was already pounding from the awful climb, but there was a sudden thrill and exhilaration.—
Frank C. Hibben,
Outdoor Life,
13 Feb. 2025
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Vanderbilt Profile Strengths: Competitive metrics, no bad losses, headliner wins vs. Kentucky and Tennessee. Profile Weaknesses: No key road/neutral wins, awful nonconference SOS.—
Jim Root,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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With snipers on rooftops, military vehicles on the streets and troops and cops everywhere, Trump was scheduled to meet with families of those killed and injured in the horrific New Year’s Day attack in NOLA.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2025
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Contemplating nuclear war and the prospect of telling this horrific news to my radio audience at 9:30 in the morning of Feb. 20, 1971 still haunts me today.—
Steve Koester,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Irving spent the night venturing off on his own, falling asleep in the forest with terrifying hallucinations.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
7 Feb. 2025
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In its place is the Terran Empire, a brutal and colonizing force that encapsulates the terrifying darkness of this alternative world.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Since winning at Boise State on Jan. 4 and blowing out Air Force at home four days later, the season had become a grind – a double-digit loss at New Mexico, a rare home loss against UNLV, a string of ugly wins against the Mountain West’s bottom-feeders after overcoming dangerously large deficits.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
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Aside from being ugly, your chocolate will be grainy and crumbly and a little sad.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Friday’s 102-86 setback in Brooklyn - marked by a gruesome fourth quarter in which Miami was outscored 31-9 – left the Heat at 25-25.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
8 Feb. 2025
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Osgood Perkins is back in his horror bag to bring the short story from Stephen King to the big screen, following twin brothers Bill and Hal, who find their father's old toy monkey in the attic, an event which leads to a series of gruesome deaths.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There have been plenty of terrible Oscar hosts over the years but this was a car crash that could easily have been avoided.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
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Secrets bob to the surface like drowning victims from the deep until nobody — not even the reader — can easily separate the terrible truth from even more terrible fictions.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That’s crazy to me: divine love shown to us through a disgusting and emaciated corpse hanging on a tool of execution.—
Mike Lowenberg,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
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What happens when a social influencer builds her entire rep on a disgusting lie?—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrendous. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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