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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Related Words

See terror.

Etymology

Origin of horror

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

Example Sentences

But even before he was ruled out Sunday, fans were calling for McCarthy to be benched after a horror show performance in his last appearance, when he threw for just 87 yards with two interceptions.

From The Wall Street Journal

A prop axe was brought in as crew members set the scene for a horror movie being filmed in Budapest's former psychiatric institute, one of numerous Hollywood productions under way in the Hungarian capital.

From Barron's

But she also took space to express the horror she’s felt witnessing her cousin’s ascent to power:

From Salon

Residents of the towers who were away when the fire started recounted the horrors of learning that their family members may have been trapped inside the buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead it helps bring home the horror movie’s big theme about the transcendence of art for oppressed people, including “music so true it can pierce the veil between life and death.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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