horrid

adjective

hor·​rid ˈhȯr-əd 

ˈhär-

1

: innately offensive or repulsive:

a

: inspiring horror : shocking

horrid living conditions

b

: inspiring disgust or loathing : nasty

a horrid man

c

: extremely bad or unpleasant : horrible

the tenor bell … gives out a horrid discordant noise

—Robert Graves

2

archaic : rough, bristling

horridly adverb

horridness noun

Synonyms

• abhorrent
• abominable
• appalling
• awful
• disgusting
• distasteful
• dreadful
• evil
• foul
• fulsome
• gross
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrible
• loathsome
• nasty
• nauseating
• nauseous
• noisome
• noxious
• obnoxious
• obscene
• odious
• offensive
• rancid
• repellent
• repellant
• repugnant
• repulsive
• revolting
• scandalous
• shocking
• sickening
• ugly

Examples of horrid in a Sentence

People there are living in horrid conditions.

He's a horrid little man.

Recent Examples on the Web

So Fleury, sick as heck, was forced to back up, which also meant Gustavsson had to survive all 60 minutes of his second consecutive horrid outing. —Michael Russo, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

So read the book now before the paperback gets one of those horrid movie-poster covers. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025

This fourth straight horrid campaign has been, in many ways, worse than the previous three. —Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

Quinn's letter probably holds a horrid secret about how humanity became doomed. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin horridus "bristly, rough, uncouth, shivering with cold, inspiring dread," from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle (of hair, weapons, plants), shudder, shiver" + -idus, adjective suffix of quality — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

horrid

adjective

hor·​rid ˈhȯr-əd 

ˈhär-

1

: inspiring horror : shocking

2

a

: arousing disgust : nasty

a horrid man

b

: horrible sense 2

had horrid manners

horridly adverb

horridness noun