horror

American  

[hawr-er, hor-] / ˈhɔr ər, ˈhɒr- /

noun

horrors plural

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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Synonym Usage

See terror.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• horrors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of horror

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

Explanation

The noun horror means intense fear, so you can use it when you describe the horror you felt when you dreamed you were flying on a bumpy airplane with a bunch of clowns. Horror is a powerful word that refers to a powerful feeling, either of terror, disgust, or shock. You might reel back from the horror of a smelly locker room, or gasp in horror at a gory scene in a movie. Horror can also be used to describe the genre of film that might make you gasp: a horror movie. The Latin word horror means "bristling, roughness, rudeness, shaking, or trembling."

Example Sentences

Praised for: Throwing “Jaws,” “Lost” and a bunch of horror classics from the last century in a blender.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

In the wake of their success, Parsons is reportedly working on a “Backrooms” sequel for A24, and Barker has another horror movie in the works for Universal Film Group.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

Sir Anthony is known for portraying psychotic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 horror film The Silence Of The Lambs, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor the following year.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

"This is a horror movie. We didn’t have to survive a war, but we could not against nature," says Celida Sequera, a 43-year-old volunteer with her face and clothes covered in dirt.

From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026

Roz watched in horror as more pigeons and ships went down.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

Related Words

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