Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for horrified. Search instead for torrifies.
Synonyms

horrified

American  
[hawr-uh-fahyd, hor-] / ˈhɔr əˌfaɪd, ˈhɒr- /

adjective

  1. showing or indicating great shock or horror.

    a horrified gasp; a horrified expression.

  2. accompanied or characterized by a feeling of horror.

    horrified interest.

  3. struck with horror; shocked.

    horrified and outraged spectators.
horrified British  
/ ˈhɒrɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

  1. terrified; frightened

  2. dismayed or shocked

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • horrifiedly adverb
  • unhorrified adjective

Etymology

Origin of horrified

First recorded in 1830–40; horrify + -ed 2

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.

An orphan himself, Lucas is horrified by the idea that Claire will be separated from her baby.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

"I categorically deny using a misogynistic slur 14 years ago and I'm horrified at its invention more than a decade later. It is absolutely not a word I would have used."

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Winston Churchill was stunned and horrified by the remark.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Katrina, like us, is rightly horrified but she’s in her own bind: undocumented, saved by Chris from the streets, with her signature on a confidentiality agreement and a deportation threat hanging over her.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Penelope was both horrified and fascinated by this strange and comical adventure.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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.