horrible
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.very bad or unpleasant to experience.
adj.extremely unpleasant or disagreeable in nature.
Simple“The weather was horrible all weekend, so we stayed inside and watched movies.”
In context“The commute was absolutely horrible this morning due to a major signal failure on the main line.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.causing a feeling of horror because something is very cruel or shocking.
adj.evoking horror, shock, or intense fear; often used to describe crimes or accidents.
Simple“It was a horrible accident, but luckily nobody was seriously hurt.”
In context“The survivors shared horrible stories of the conditions they endured during the long winter siege.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a very bad thing that might happen in the future as a result of a choice.
n.a prospective bad consequence or terrifying possibility; often used in the phrase 'parade of horribles'.
Simple“The lawyer listed every horrible that could happen if the new law passed.”
In context“The judge dismissed the argument as a mere parade of horribles that lacked any grounding in the actual text of the statute.”
UsageUsually used in the plural form 'horribles' within legal or political rhetoric.
Synonyms
First attested in Middle English (alternately as horrible and orrible) in 1303: from Old French horrible, orrible, orible, from Latin horribilis, from horr(ēre) (“tremble”) + -ibilis (“-ible”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.