terrible
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.very bad or of poor quality.
adj.of very poor quality; extremely unsatisfactory or incompetent.
Simple“The food at that restaurant was terrible and we couldn't finish it.”
In context“The critics agreed that the acting was terrible, noting that the lead performers seemed to have forgotten their lines entirely.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
adj.making you feel very unhappy, sick, or uncomfortable.
adj.causing great distress, discomfort, or unpleasantness.
Simple“I have a terrible headache and need to lie down in a dark room.”
In context“The family received the terrible news of the accident while they were preparing for the holiday celebrations.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.very great or extreme in degree.
adj.extreme in degree, extent, or intensity; often used to describe weather or speed.
Simple“The boat struggled to stay upright during the terrible storm.”
In context“The car was travelling at a terrible speed when it lost control on the icy corner.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.causing great fear or terror.
adj.instilling fear, terror, or awe; formidable in nature.
Simple“The dragon was a terrible beast that no knight dared to fight.”
In context“The ancient army was a terrible sight as it marched across the plains, its banners snapping in the wind.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
adv.used to mean 'very' or 'extremely' when talking to friends.
adv.used as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'extremely'; common in specific regional dialects.
Simple“It is a terrible long way to the next town from here.”
In context“He was a terrible nice man once you got to know him, despite his grumpy appearance.”
UsageIn this sense, the word functions as an adverb modifying an adjective, though it retains the adjective form.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin terribilisbor. Old French terriblebor. Middle English terrible English terrible Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.