horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-, 
hə-
Synonyms of horrendousnext
: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible, dreadful
His audition was horrendous.
horrendous crimes
horrendously adverb

Synonyms of horrendous

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Examples of horrendous in a Sentence

Her taste in clothes is horrendous. a horrendous explosion shook the building
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As horrendous as California’s wildfires may be, the conventional rules of imposing liability and spreading the cost just doesn’t work when utilities are state-regulated and state-protected. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2026 Separately, the Club exited its position in Honeywell Aerospace following a horrendous quarter Wednesday that left Jim feeling blindsided. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 His actions in Gaza have been horrendous and any right-minded person should support his arrest. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026 Instead, his horrendous tactics were even more cautious, negative and sobering. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horrendous

Word History

Etymology

Latin horrendus "inspiring terror or awe, dreadful" (gerundive of horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver") + -ous — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrendous was in 1659

Rhymes for horrendous

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Browse Nearby Words

horra
horrendous
horrent
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Cite this Entry

“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrendous. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

horrendous

adjective
hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
hä-, 
hə-
: dreadful, horrible
horrendously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on horrendous

Nglish: Translation of horrendous for Spanish Speakers

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