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View synonyms for horrid

horrid

[ hawr-id, hor- ]

adjective

  1. such as to cause horror; shockingly dreadful; abominable.
  2. extremely unpleasant or disagreeable:

    horrid weather; She thought her uncle was horrid.

    Synonyms: nasty, abominable, odious, vile

  3. Archaic. shaggy or bristling; rough.


horrid

/ ˈhɒrɪd /

adjective

  1. disagreeable; unpleasant

    a horrid meal

  2. repulsive or frightening
  3. informal.
    unkind
“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

  • ˈhorridly, adverb
  • ˈhorridness, noun
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Other Words From

  • horrid·ly adverb
  • horrid·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of horrid1

1580–90; < Latin horridus bristling, rough, equivalent to horr- (stem of horrēre to stand on end, bristle) + -idus -id 4
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Word History and Origins

Origin of horrid1

C16 (in the sense: bristling, shaggy): from Latin horridus prickly, rough, from horrēre to bristle
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Example Sentences

The 4-1 away victory over Honduras came after a horrid first half and after star attacker Christian Pulisic left with an ankle injury.

Even Giant’s notoriously horrid saddles have been updated to a surprisingly tolerable Romero SL perch.

Plus, the horrid communication from Google made things worse.

The Duke of Hastings is broken, consumed by a vow made against a horrid father.

Removing choice is bullying and seems a horrid basis on which to anchor your relationship.

This world is a horrid cancer that no decent soul should ever partake from.

And bringing this home for all was the horrid beheading of American journalist James Foley.

The state likely will lead in the countervailing lawsuits when (insert a horrid disease here) is found to be linked to e-puffing.

In 2001, students in the mostly black Richmond district in Virginia had rather horrid reading scores.

Her eyes, for a moment, fixed themselves with a horrid conviction of a wide and nameless treachery.

But he was ignorant of that part of the horrid tale; and the Duke, in a milder voice, bade him rise.

They are faced by a horrid redoubt held by machine guns, and they are to rush it with the bayonet.

John Tubbs was one day doing his sums, when little Sam Jones pushed against him; and down went the slate with a horrid clatter.

I guess you are growing up, 17 laughed unconscious Dinah; its hateful and horrid to grow up; I never shall.

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More About Horrid

What does horrid mean?

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

When it’s used to describe a person, it often means extremely disagreeable or cruel.

Much less commonly, it can mean literally causing horror—horrifying or horrific.

Example: Everyone seems to like that restaurant, but I had a horrid experience there—bad food and even worse service.

Where does horrid come from?

The first records of the word horrid come from the late 1500s. It comes from the Latin horridus, which means “prickly” or “rough” and ultimately derives from the Latin verb horrēre, meaning “to tremble” or “to bristle with fear” (a reference to one’s hair standing on end due to extreme fear). Horrēre is the basis of the word horror and the related words horrific, horrifying, and horrible.

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

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to horrid?

  • horridly (adverb)
  • horridness (noun)

What are some synonyms for horrid?

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

 

How is horrid used in real life?

The word horrid is always negative, but it’s commonly used in both serious and not-so-serious contexts.

 

 

Try using horrid!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of horrid

A. awful
B. terrible
C. lousy
D. delightful

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