horror

American  

[hawr-er, hor-] / ˈhɔr ər, ˈhɒr- /

noun

1. an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear.

   to shrink back from a mutilated corpse in horror.

   Synonyms:

   consternation, dismay, dread

   Antonyms:

   serenity

2. anything that causes such a feeling.

   killing, looting, and other horrors of war.

3. such a feeling as a quality or condition.

   to have known the horror of slow starvation.

4. a strong aversion; abhorrence.

   to have a horror of emotional outbursts.

   Synonyms:

   abomination, hatred, detestation, antipathy, loathing

   Antonyms:

   attraction

5. Informal. something considered bad or tasteless.

   That wallpaper is a horror. The party was a horror.

6. Informal. horrors,

   1. delirium tremens.

   2. extreme depression.

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adjective

1. inspiring or creating horror, loathing, aversion, etc..

   The hostages told horror stories of their year in captivity.

2. centered upon or depicting terrifying or macabre events.

   a horror movie.

interjection

1. horrors, (used as a mild expression of dismay, surprise, disappointment, etc.)

horror British  

/ ˈhɒrə /

noun

1. extreme fear; terror; dread

2. intense loathing; hatred

3. (often plural) a thing or person causing fear, loathing, etc

4. (modifier) having a frightening subject, esp a supernatural one

   a horror film

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horror Idioms  

1. see under throw up one's hands.

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Related Words

See terror.

Etymology

Origin of horror

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin horror, equivalent to horr- (stem of horrēre “to bristle with fear”; horrendous ) + -or -or ¹; replacing Middle English orrour, from Anglo-French, from Latin horrōr-, stem of horror

Example Sentences

We’re not shielded from the horrors, but they almost always happen offstage, implied or alluded to in the sudden vanishing of a loved one or a mournful reference to a death.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their first adventures journey far from that horror, with each discrete story translated through Spear and Fang’s movements through their cruel, fantastic world.

From Salon

This works like a charm in horror, where the trick is to never reveal too much, too soon.

From Salon

The morning session, when Potts was flayed by Head and the catches went down was a throwback to the great England wheels-off Ashes horror shows.

From BBC

This latest horror show in Sydney comes at the end of an incredibly disappointing Ashes for Smith, continuing a poor run of form that began in the home summer.

From BBC

Related Words

• apprehension
• awe
• consternation
• disgust
• dismay
• dread
• fear
• fright
• hatred
• panic
• revulsion
• terror