chamber of horrors

noun

1. a place for the exhibition of gruesome or horrible objects.

2. a group of such objects, as instruments of torture or murder.

3. any collection of things or ideas that inspire horror.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chamber of horrors¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

“In the paintings and drawings of this chamber of horrors, there is no telling what was in the sick brains of those who wielded the brush or the pencil,” the catalog explained.

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A credulous media exacerbated the hysteria with “an echo chamber of horrors,” in the words of Times media critic David Shaw, who eviscerated the pack-journalism coverage.

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Artists from Madame Tussauds were also in courtroom number one, sketching the two latest villains the attraction hoped to install in its Chamber of Horrors.

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They were removed from the Chamber of Horrors in the 1980s.

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From Marie Tussaud’s Chamber of Horrors to Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion to horror-themed escape rooms, haunted house attractions have terrified and delighted audiences around the world for more than 200 years.

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