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horrible

noun
/ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/UK/ˈhɔɹ.ɪ.bəl/US/ˈhɑɹ.ɪ.bəl/

Etymology

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”).

  1. derived from horribilis

Definitions

  1. A thing that causes horror

    A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.

    • Here's a carcase. I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing. Such a waggish leering as lurks in all your horribles!
    • A lot of the possible horribles conjured up by the people objecting to this convention ignore the plain language of this treaty.
    • The pot had previously simmered skate wings, cods' heads, whales, pigs' hearts and a long litany of other horribles.

  2. A person wearing a comic or grotesque costume in a parade of horribles.

  3. Causing horror

    Causing horror; terrible; shocking.

    • Strangers fainted dead away at the sight of the Laughing Man's horrible face. Acquaintances shunned him.
    • Some of us have had plastic surgery on our faces and fingerprints. Right now we have a horrible job; we're waiting for the war to begin and, as quickly, end.
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. Tremendously bad.

      • Having now absorbed all or parts of 750 responses to my complaints about Transformers, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that most of those writing agree with me that it is a horrible movie.

The neighborhood

Derived

horribleness, horribly, unhorrible

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for horrible. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA