horrendous

[ haw-ren-duhs, ho- ]

/ hɔˈrɛn dəs, hɒ- /

adjective

shockingly dreadful; horrible: a horrendous crime.

Nearby words

Origin of horrendous

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

SYNONYMS FOR horrendous

appalling, frightful, hideous.

Related formshor·ren·dous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for horrendously

The hatchet job quickly went viral, with the twitterverse agreeing that it was terribly funny and horrendously mean.
Guy Fieri Battles Scathing New York Times Review by Pete Wells|Katie Baker|November 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
To be fair, the problem that had to be addressed was horrendously complex.
Preventing Another Bank Disaster|Jeffrey E. Garten|March 15, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for horrendously

horrendous

/ (hɒˈrɛndəs) /

adjective

another word for horrific

Derived Formshorrendously, adverb

Word Origin for horrendous

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

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

Word Origin and History for horrendously

horrendous

adj.

1650s, from Latin horrendus "dreadful, fearful, terrible," literally "to be shuddered at," gerundive of horrere "to bristle with fear, shudder" (see horror). Earlier form in English was horrend (mid-15c.).