horror

[hawr-er, hor-]

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.

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of horror¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of horror¹

C14: from Latin: a trembling with fear; compare _hirsute

Idioms and Phrases

see under throw up one's hands.

Synonym Study

See terror.

Example Sentences

A recent string of deadly bear attacks has prompted Japanese filmmakers to postpone the release of a gory horror movie with the same theme.

Read more on Barron's

I’d traveled to Edinburgh with a dark purpose: to uncover the grisly stories and Gothic artifacts that helped inspire Mary Shelley to write one of the world’s most enduring horror tales.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s a paradoxical quality of horror films that to be an outsider either qualifies you as a hero or the monster — the insiders are usually just food.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The genre is, after all, still enjoying another renaissance period, which many viewers hope will be enough for awards voters to take horror seriously.

Read more on Salon

“Shelby Oaks,” a new horror film from a new director, gives you a lot of time to consider what’s old about the genre.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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