horrible

horrible — adjective

1. extremely unpleasant, bad, or upsetting; used to describe experiences, things, s

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

extremely unpleasant, bad, or upsetting; used to describe experiences, things, situations, or people that cause strong dislike or discomfort.

Example

The weather was horrible during our trip to the beach, so we stayed inside.

collocation: horrible weather

Sumin felt horrible after eating too much cake at the party.

pattern: feel + adjective for physical discomfort

Common collocations
  • horrible weather
  • horrible day
  • horrible feeling
  • horrible noise
  • horrible food
  • horrible person
  • horrible mistake
Synonyms
  • terrible

    Similar intensity but slightly more formal; often used for serious situations (a terrible accident, terrible news).

  • awful

    Same register and very common in everyday speech; can feel slightly weaker and less personal than horrible.

  • lousy

    More informal and slangy; best for minor complaints (a lousy meal, lousy service).

  • dreadful

    More formal and more common in British English; carries a sense of deep dismay.

Antonyms
  • wonderful

    Direct opposite for experiences and things that cause great pleasure.

  • lovely

    Opposite in register about personal taste (a lovely meal vs. a horrible meal).

  • pleasant

    Neutral opposite describing agreeable experiences.

Grammar Patterns

horrible + noun

feel/look/smell/taste + horrible

so + horrible + that-clause

Usage Note

More informal and emphatic than 'bad.' Can intensify abstract nouns such as 'mess,' 'mistake,' or 'failure' ('a horrible mess'). Typically describes subjective reaction rather than objective quality.

Common Mistakes

This soup is horrible' (when it is just a little too salty).
This soup is too salty for my taste.
'Horrible' is very strong; reserve it for genuinely unpleasant experiences, not minor complaints.
The weather was horrible, so we cancelled the picnic' (acceptable in speech but too vague for writing).
The constant rain made the picnic impossible.
In formal writing, a more concrete description is preferred over the emphatic adjective.

2. causing a strong feeling of shock, fear, or horror; used for events, accidents,

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

causing a strong feeling of shock, fear, or horror; used for events, accidents, images, or stories that are deeply disturbing.

Example

The survivors told horrible stories about the earthquake that destroyed their town.

collocation: horrible stories

Isabela could not sleep after watching that horrible horror film.

collocation: horrible film / horror film

Common collocations
  • horrible crime
  • horrible accident
  • horrible death
  • horrible sight
  • horrible nightmare
  • horrible scene
Synonyms
  • terrifying

    Focuses specifically on causing fear, whereas horrible can also include disgust or shock.

  • horrifying

    Stronger and more direct than horrible; emphasizes the act of causing horror.

  • gruesome

    Specifically about violence, blood, or injury; narrower than horrible.

  • appalling

    More formal; emphasizes shock and dismay at something deeply wrong.

Antonyms
  • comforting

    Describes something that soothes fear or worry.

  • reassuring

    Restores confidence and calm, opposite of causing fear.

  • peaceful

    Describes a calm scene free from disturbance or horror.

Grammar Patterns

horrible + noun (accident/crime/scene/dream)

be + horrible to witness/see/hear

Usage Note

Common with nouns like 'accident,' 'crime,' 'scene,' 'murder,' 'war' — the subject is typically an event or visual scene rather than a person or an object of taste. Distinguished from sense 1 by the element of fear or shock: the thing causes genuine horror, not just strong dislike or disappointment.

Common Mistakes

The test results were horrible' (when meaning you just did poorly).
The crash scene was horrible, with overturned cars everywhere.
Sense 2 requires real fear or horror; for bad results, use sense 1 or a different word like 'disappointing.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something very bad, but they differ in register, intensity, and typical context. 'Horrible' is the most informal and emotional — it comes from a personal feeling of dislike or disgust. 'Terrible' is slightly more formal and often describes a situation's objective seriousness (a terrible tragedy, terrible news). 'Awful' is similar in register to 'horrible' and very common in everyday speech, but can feel slightly weaker — 'awful weather' is bad, but 'horrible weather' sounds more personally upsetting. 'Dreadful' is the most formal and more common in British English, carrying a sense of deep dismay or foreboding. For everyday complaints, 'horrible' and 'awful' are nearly interchangeable ('the food was horrible/awful'). For serious events, 'terrible' is the neutral choice ('a terrible accident'), while 'dreadful' sounds more literary ('a dreadful mistake').

horrible ↗terrible ↗awful ↗dreadful ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • really horrible
  • absolutely horrible
  • truly horrible
  • quite horrible

Prepositions

  • horrible to someone
  • horrible for someone

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'horribilis,' meaning 'that which causes trembling or horror,' derived from 'horrere' (to bristle, shudder, tremble). The word entered English through Old French 'horrible' in the 13th century. The original sense was always about fear and shock (modern sense 2); the broader, colloquial meaning of 'very bad or unpleasant' (sense 1) developed in the 17th–18th centuries through everyday exaggeration.