horror story

noun

: an account of an unsettling or unfortunate occurrence
heard horror stories about recent layoffs
also : something unsettling or unfortunate
his childhood was a horror story

Examples of horror story in a Sentence

We've all heard horror stories about airlines losing people's luggage. Her childhood was a horror story.
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.
Giese-Hurst told horror stories involving BB guns, including children who died of fatal wounds. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Ryan Murphy has tackled monsters, legal drama, the beauty industry, and all manner of American horror stories. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Thompson said on her Calm Down podcast while retelling the horror story of her gown to her co-host Erin Andrews, who also attended the nuptials at Madison Square Garden earlier in the month. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026 Dominic Thiem and Juan Martín del Potro, who both won a single Grand Slam title in careers that promised more, top the list of horror stories. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horror story

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horror story was in 1937

Rhymes for horror story

See All Rhymes for horror story

Browse Nearby Words

horror show
horror story
horror-struck
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horror story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror%20story. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on horror story

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about horror story

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