Definition of horrible adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

horrible

adjective

/ˈhɒrəbl/

/ˈhɔːrəbl/

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(informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like
- What horrible weather!
- The coffee tasted absolutely horrible.
- a horrible mess/smell/noise
- I've got a horrible feeling she lied to us.
- I feel horrible about what happened.
- He looks horrible with that new haircut.
- He admits that he made a horrible mistake when he left her.
- it is horrible to do something It was horrible to have to leave my family behind.
- it is horrible doing something It was horrible sitting there all on my own.
Synonyms terrible
terribleawful ▪ horrible ▪ dreadful ▪ vile ▪ horrendousThese words all describe something that is very unpleasant.
terrible very bad or unpleasant; making you feel unhappy, frightened, upset, ill, guilty or disapproving:
What terrible news!
That’s a terrible thing to say!
awful (rather informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like or that makes you feel depressed, ill, guilty or disapproving:
That’s an awful colour.
The weather last summer was awful.
horrible (rather informal) very unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like:
The coffee tasted horrible.
dreadful (especially British English, rather informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like or that you disapprove of:
What dreadful weather!
vile (informal) extremely bad or unpleasant:
There was a vile smell coming from the room.
He was in a vile mood.
horrendous (rather informal) extremely unpleasant and unacceptable:
The traffic around the city was horrendous.
Patterns
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful for somebody
- a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile thing
- a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/vile smell
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile/horrendous conditions
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile weather
- terrible/awful/dreadful news
Topics Weatherb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- feel
- look
- …
adverb
- really
- absolutely
- quite
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
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making you feel very shocked and frightened synonym terrible
- a pretty horrible experience
- a horrible crime/death/nightmare
- a horrible tragedy/accident
Extra Examples
- a truly horrible sight
- She woke from a horrible nightmare.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- feel
- look
- …
adverb
- really
- absolutely
- quite
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
(informal) (of people or their behaviour) unfriendly, unpleasant or unkind synonym nasty, obnoxious
- a horrible person
- What a horrible thing to say!
- horrible to somebody My sister was being horrible to me all day.
Topics Personal qualitiesb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
- feel
- look
- …
adverb
- really
- absolutely
- quite
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin horribilis, from horrere ‘tremble, shudder’.

See horrible in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Check pronunciation: horrible

Nearby words

trait

noun

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