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View synonyms for horrendous

horrendous

[ haw-ren-duhs, ho- ]

adjective

  1. shockingly dreadful; horrible:

    a horrendous crime.

    Synonyms: hideous, frightful, appalling



horrendous

/ hɒˈrɛndəs /

adjective

  1. another word for horrific
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • horˈrendously, adverb
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Other Words From

  • hor·rendous·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of horrendous1

1650–60; < Latin horrendus dreadful, to be feared (gerund of horrēre to bristle, shudder), equivalent to horr- (akin to hirsute ) + -endus gerund suffix
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Word History and Origins

Origin of horrendous1

C17: from Latin horrendus fearful, from horrēre to bristle, shudder, tremble; see horror
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Example Sentences

Now, to give you an example, in the 1930s, Germany had been through a horrendous famine and starvation in World War I, when nearly a million Germans died of hunger.

From Salon

"The lack of communication is horrendous," said Simon Juniper, who works for a company supplying locum doctors to surgeries.

From BBC

Judge Paul Smith called the scale and nature of the crimes "depraved" and "horrendous", saying "there was a significant breach of trust".

From BBC

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the latest figures "horrendous" and he had had "enough of being lied to" by the Conservatives.

From BBC

The abuse of autistic children that took place at the Whitefield School in north-east London was "horrendous" and "must never happen again", the prime minister's spokesperson has said.

From BBC

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More About Horrendous

What does horrendous mean?

Horrendous is popularly used to mean extremely bad—awful, dreadful, or horrible.

It can also mean literally causing horror—horrifying or horrific, as in horrendous violence.

Example: If you’re wondering what cake tastes like when you accidentally use salt instead of sugar, it’s horrendous—completely disgusting and inedible.

Where does horrendous come from?

The first records of horrendous in English come from the 1600s. It comes from the Latin horrendus, meaning “fearful.” It ultimately derives from the Latin horrēre, which means “to tremble” or “to bristle” (a reference to one’s hair standing on end due to extreme fear) and is the basis of the word horror and the related words horrible, horrific, horrifying, and horrid.

Horrendous is perhaps most popularly used to simply mean “really bad,” in much the same way that horrible, terrible, and awful are often used, as in I had a horrendous time at that party—no one would talk to me! Sometimes, though, horrendous means truly horrific or horrifying, as in In my 30 years on the job, I’ve never seen a crime scene more horrendous than this. Real-life horror like violence can be described as horrendous, but you wouldn’t call a horror movie horrendous to mean it was really scary—you’d probably call it horrifying or terrifying. If it was really stupid and poorly made, though, then could call it horrendous. (Unless it was so bad it was good, in which case you might call it terrific!)

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to horrendous?

What are some synonyms for horrendous?

What are some words that share a root or word element with horrendous

What are some words that often get used in discussing horrendous?

How is horrendous used in real life?

Horrendous can be used in extremely serious context as well as not-so-serious ones. War crimes are truly horrendous, but an actor’s bad accent in a movie can also be described as horrendous.

 

 

Try using horrendous!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym for horrendous

A. horrible
B. awful
C. terrible
D. terrific

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