horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs 

hä-,

hə-

: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible, dreadful

His audition was horrendous.

horrendous crimes

horrendously adverb

Synonyms

• alarming
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreadful
• fearful
• fearsome
• forbidding
• formidable
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• hair-raising
• horrible
• horrifying
• intimidating
• redoubtable
• scary
• shocking
• spine-chilling
• terrible
• terrifying

Examples of horrendous in a Sentence

Her taste in clothes is horrendous.

a horrendous explosion shook the building

Recent Examples on the Web

All the while, Elon Musk—a far-right activist and the site’s owner, who is campaigning for and giving away millions to help elect Donald Trump—amplifies horrendous conspiracy theories about voter fraud, migrants run amok, and the idea that Jewish people hate white people. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024

The 31-year-old southpaw got off to a horrendous start to this season after missing spring training due to contract negotiations. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

The juxtaposition between such comforts and the horrendous history underscoring the trip spins Benji around. —Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024

As the episodes progress, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story takes a more serious turn, focusing more on the horrendous nature of their father’s abuse and demonstrating genuine compassion for both of them. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

horrendous

adjective

hor·​ren·​dous hȯ-ˈren-dəs 

hä-,

hə-

: dreadful, horrible

horrendously adverb