horror

American  

[hawr-er, hor-] / ˈhɔr ər, ˈhɒr- /

noun

1. an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear.

   to shrink back from a mutilated corpse in horror.

   Synonyms:

   consternation, dismay, dread

   Antonyms:

   serenity

2. anything that causes such a feeling.

   killing, looting, and other horrors of war.

3. such a feeling as a quality or condition.

   to have known the horror of slow starvation.

4. a strong aversion; abhorrence.

   to have a horror of emotional outbursts.

   Synonyms:

   abomination, hatred, detestation, antipathy, loathing

   Antonyms:

   attraction

5. Informal. something considered bad or tasteless.

   That wallpaper is a horror. The party was a horror.

6. Informal. horrors,

   1. delirium tremens.

   2. extreme depression.

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adjective

1. inspiring or creating horror, loathing, aversion, etc..

   The hostages told horror stories of their year in captivity.

2. centered upon or depicting terrifying or macabre events.

   a horror movie.

interjection

1. horrors, (used as a mild expression of dismay, surprise, disappointment, etc.)

horror British  

/ ˈhɒrə /

noun

1. extreme fear; terror; dread

2. intense loathing; hatred

3. (often plural) a thing or person causing fear, loathing, etc

4. (modifier) having a frightening subject, esp a supernatural one

   a horror film

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horror Idioms  

1. see under throw up one's hands.

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Synonym Usage

See terror.

Etymology

Origin of horror

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin horror, equivalent to horr- (stem of horrēre “to bristle with fear”; see horrendous) + -or -or ¹; replacing Middle English orrour, from Anglo-French, from Latin horrōr-, stem of horror

Explanation

The noun horror means intense fear, so you can use it when you describe the horror you felt when you dreamed you were flying on a bumpy airplane with a bunch of clowns. Horror is a powerful word that refers to a powerful feeling, either of terror, disgust, or shock. You might reel back from the horror of a smelly locker room, or gasp in horror at a gory scene in a movie. Horror can also be used to describe the genre of film that might make you gasp: a horror movie. The Latin word horror means "bristling, roughness, rudeness, shaking, or trembling."

Example Sentences

“The Listeners” arrives with some of the appointments of a horror movie—and if one were subject to a constant roar like Claire’s, one might indeed scream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Morrone: I think there’s an underappreciation for horror performances.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

“Backrooms,” the No. 1 movie in the country currently, is a horror movie that takes place in a seemingly endless liminal space that articulates itself as generic strip mall or office spaces.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026

For those who know of exorcisms primarily from horror movies, the news of a professional exorcist in the nation’s capital causing drama may have been a bit confounding.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

She can’t even nudge it enough to let light in, and with dawning horror, she realizes their giant oak tree must have fallen on top of the cellar.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• apprehension
• awe
• consternation
• disgust
• dismay
• dread
• fear
• fright
• hatred
• panic
• revulsion
• terror