1
as in horrible
causing fear
a terrible nightmare that woke me up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Recent Examples of terrible
In terrible condition, the animals were taken to Bravehearts Equine Center in Paris, Kentucky, where they were slowly nursed back to health.
—
Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
For my youngest’s terrible handwriting, that meant aiming for legibility and saving the time that could have gone toward cursive lessons for activities that animate her, such as building boats and airplanes from the contents of the recycling bin.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
But why do these terrible people and their dangerous ilk remain enduringly popular?
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
This conversation is really giving a terrible image of French politicians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
For my youngest’s terrible handwriting, that meant aiming for legibility and saving the time that could have gone toward cursive lessons for activities that animate her, such as building boats and airplanes from the contents of the recycling bin.
—Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2025
But why do these terrible people and their dangerous ilk remain enduringly popular?
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
This conversation is really giving a terrible image of French politicians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The missions became more intense as Japan's outlook grew more dire and the military showcased the sacrifice of the pilots to drum up patriotism and support for the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Next, the authors report that repressive techniques are often effective in suppressing protest in the short run but tend to make resistance more intense in the long term.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With that horrific risk in mind, the crew hatches a new plan.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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Viscerally horrific, conceptually mindblowing, achingly humane.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Failure to invest in protecting the vulnerable likely means the current awful trends will continue.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
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There are so many connections between all these awful people.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, the massive, albeit picturesque, gullies were made because of poor farming practices during the 1800s.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
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The Heat continues to rotate through different starting groups because of injuries and poor play, using six different starting lineups in the last six games and 11 different starting lineups in the last 13 games.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The terrifying predicament happened Sunday, March 23, in a wooded area off Interstate 10 in LaPlace, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a March 26 news release.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That could include chemical-intensive lab work like testing sea lions, killer whales and walruses from Alaska for environmental contaminants, Tolimieri said.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
11 Apr. 2025
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Class-size mandates effectively compete with other investments, like hiring more mental health professionals or investing in intensive teacher training for the existing workforce.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
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This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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