# horror

/ˈhɔɹɝ/ (US) · /hˈɒɹɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/horror
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. feeling of fear

noun · CEFR B1

a very strong feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.

For teachers: an intense, distressing emotion of fear or repugnance. Uncountable in its abstract sense.

- She watched in horror as the car slid off the icy road.
- The witnesses spoke of the sheer horror they felt when the building began to sway during the earthquake.

### 2. scary stories/films

noun · CEFR B1

a type of book or film that tries to scare the audience.

For teachers: a genre of fiction, film, or art designed to evoke feelings of fear, suspense, and the supernatural.

- I don't like watching horror movies late at night because I can't sleep.
- Modern horror often relies on psychological tension rather than the graphic violence seen in earlier decades of the genre.

### 3. terrible events

noun · CEFR B2

a very bad or unpleasant event or situation.

For teachers: a specific event or circumstance that excites horror or intense distress. Often used in the plural.

- The book describes the horrors of the war in great detail.
- The documentary aimed to expose the daily horrors faced by refugees crossing the border in winter.

### 4. naughty person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · British English

a person, especially a child, who behaves very badly.

For teachers: a person, typically a child, who is perceived as particularly ill-behaved or troublesome.

- Their youngest son is a little horror when he doesn't get his way.
- The nanny resigned after a week, claiming the children were absolute horrors who refused to follow any rules.

### 5. strong dislike

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a very strong feeling of not liking something.

For teachers: an intense aversion or strong dislike toward something. Often used with 'of'.

- He has a horror of being late for important meetings.
- The architect expressed a profound horror of modern glass towers, preferring the tactile nature of stone and brick.

## Examples

- She watched the news in horror as the storm hit.
- The witnesses described the scene with a sense of horror that stayed with them for years.
- The director mastered the art of psychological horror, relying on subtle shadows and unsettling sounds rather than graphic violence to terrify the viewers.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.