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Synonyms

horrified

American  
[hawr-uh-fahyd, hor-] / ˈhɔr əˌfaɪd, ˈhɒr- /

adjective

  1. showing or indicating great shock or horror.

    a horrified gasp; a horrified expression.

  2. accompanied or characterized by a feeling of horror.

    horrified interest.

  3. struck with horror; shocked.

    horrified and outraged spectators.
horrified British  
/ ˈhɒrɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

  1. terrified; frightened

  2. dismayed or shocked

"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

Other Word Forms

  • horrifiedly adverb
  • unhorrified adjective

Etymology

Origin of horrified

First recorded in 1830–40; horrify + -ed 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Kansas-born DiDonato said she is "horrified" by shootings but sees "Innocence" as also addressing a normalization of violence that extends into other areas such as deportations and war.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Dario was horrified as he watched his colleagues be fired one by one, which he considered needlessly cruel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Defence solicitor David Sutherland told the court on Wednesday he thought the public would be "horrified" with anything other than a custodial sentence.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Winston Churchill was stunned and horrified by the remark.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Matthias stared in horrified fascination at the broad slimy path that had been left in the mud by the snake.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.