English Reference
adverb

horribly

adv.
US /ˈhɔɹəbɫi/ UK /hˈɒɹɪbli/ hor·ri·bly

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    in a way that is very bad, unpleasant, or shocking.

    in a manner that is extremely unpleasant, shocking, or poorly executed.

    Simple

    The singer performed horribly because she had a very sore throat.

    In context

    The project was horribly mismanaged from the start, leading to significant delays and a complete loss of investor confidence.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    used to emphasize how bad or uncomfortable something is.

    used as an intensifier to emphasize a negative quality or an extreme degree of discomfort.

    Simple

    It was horribly hot in the small room with no windows.

    In context

    The silence in the courtroom was horribly tense as the jury prepared to deliver their final verdict on the high-profile case.

    extremelydreadfullyfrightfully

From Middle English horribly, horribely, horribliche, horriblelyche, equivalent to horrible + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English horribly
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated