horror story
Americannoun
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a story, movie, etc., that entertains or fascinates by shocking or frightening, especially by an emphasis on bloodshed or supernatural forces.
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Informal. a distressing experience.
the horror stories of child abuse.
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.
When “Fatal Attraction” debuted in 1987, Glenn Close’s character was viewed strictly as a horror story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
It quickly became a so-called "creepypasta" -- a short horror story reposted and modified around the web, to which other users added details such as monsters and undiscovered dimensions.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
After a brief theatrical release, “Frankenstein,” starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, starts streaming Nov. 7 as director Guillermo del Toro puts his sumptuous spin on Mary Shelley’s classic gothic horror story.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025
But using him as a donor turned into a "horror story" for a couple after he took them to court as he wanted parental rights over their child.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2025
The campus is buzzing with the horror story.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
