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horrendous
/ hɒˈrɛndəs /
adjective
- another word for horrific
Derived Forms
- horˈrendously, adverb
Other Words From
- hor·rendous·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of horrendous1
Word History and Origins
Origin of horrendous1
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.
"The lack of communication is horrendous," said Simon Juniper, who works for a company supplying locum doctors to surgeries.
Judge Paul Smith called the scale and nature of the crimes "depraved" and "horrendous", saying "there was a significant breach of trust".
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the latest figures "horrendous" and he had had "enough of being lied to" by the Conservatives.
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.
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Related Words
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?
- horrendously (adverb)
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.
Just spoke to my sister who lives in Melbourne. It’s truly horrendous what’s happening in Australia. Thankfully she’s safe at the minute but I can’t help but worry
— feckless fox 💙💙💙 (@sam56759067) January 4, 2020
2000s fashion was utterly horrendous
— jessie ⁷ (@dntletmeflv) April 23, 2020
That’s a truly horrendous trade for the Giants. I can’t say much more.
— Will Manso (@WillManso) March 13, 2019
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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