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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4
as in awful
extremely unsatisfactory
this nonfat ice cream is terrible
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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
Chappell Roan and her terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week continues in the aftermath of an incident last week in Brazil that left an 11-year-old fan in tears.
—
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The weather in Wales was terrible, with snow and freezing temperatures and Arctic gales.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Under spirited sprints around the Algarve region’s sinewy mountain roads, the range depletion wasn’t terrible, losing about 20 or 25 percent after 90 miles of pushing.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Gemini 3 Pro, for example, was poor judging when its answers were likely accurate, at just 52%, and terrible at avoiding potential catastrophic mistakes, at just 25%.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The weather in Wales was terrible, with snow and freezing temperatures and Arctic gales.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Under spirited sprints around the Algarve region’s sinewy mountain roads, the range depletion wasn’t terrible, losing about 20 or 25 percent after 90 miles of pushing.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Gemini 3 Pro, for example, was poor judging when its answers were likely accurate, at just 52%, and terrible at avoiding potential catastrophic mistakes, at just 25%.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
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This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For the seventh year in a row, Walmart captured more money from Charlotte-area shoppers than any other grocery store, despite intense competition from local grocers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
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Graves’ exit has sparked intense speculation about his potential successor to represent Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, which stretches across northern Missouri and touches Kansas City’s Northland.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
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A lot of his struggles stemmed from the Raiders’ horrific offensive line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The timing is awful, as Rodon was scheduled to make a rehab start with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.—
Logan Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Broncos were awful on the ground.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These are the military's most elite forces, who have undergone intensive physical and technical training for this type of mission.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Radar works in these conditions but is power-intensive for small drones.—
Nitin Sanket,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The gruesome images of tanks blown apart by drones in Ukraine did not dissuade anyone from purchasing these systems.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Because of his ability to appeal to jurors with at times folksy explanations of gruesome subjects like the dynamic of blood spatter, prosecution and defense lawyers competed for his testimony at trials.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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