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”; 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

In fourth place with $5.6 million was "Lee Cronin's The Mummy," an original horror flick from Warner Bros about a young girl possessed by a demon in an ancient mummification ritual.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

Her worst incident was during a screening of supernatural horror film Smile 2, in 2024.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

“The fact that we can just go to a general fan convention for horror, anime or comics proves that VHS collecting is alive and well,” says Le Moine, who runs day-to-day operations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

There is already dread about how girls who endured the horror of the flood will respond to their first summer storm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

It steps over and around the houses, like a giant monster in an old horror film.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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