1
as in horrible
causing fear
a terrible nightmare that woke me up
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I have a terrible headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
that is a terrible movie to let your six-year-old watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in awful
extremely unsatisfactory
this nonfat ice cream is terrible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in poor
of low quality
manufactures terrible clothes that often tear after a single wash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrible
As the lawsuits make clear with horrifying details, the victims died in terrible ways.
—
Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
During my visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Leather and hot water are a terrible match.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
With talent and youth, Notre Dame isn’t necessarily in a terrible position, but bringing in another veteran, disciplined ballhandler alongside All-American Hidalgo make Notre Dame even stronger.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
During my visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Leather and hot water are a terrible match.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026
With talent and youth, Notre Dame isn’t necessarily in a terrible position, but bringing in another veteran, disciplined ballhandler alongside All-American Hidalgo make Notre Dame even stronger.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By the final showdown, the production has made use of every bit of stage space, with sensational flying sequences (choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) that allow the vampires to float, hover, and—in one especially intense moment—dive from that bridge.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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The moment has sparked an outpouring of empathy, with many pointing to the intense pressure drivers face on the job.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier in the month, the courts heard the horrific and emotional testimonies of camp counselors of that night as part of the lawsuit.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
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So even as the Nazi regime was radicalizing through the 1930s and committing horrific violence, the German population was still laughing and being entertained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Their banter is empty because outside the season’s premiere, The Boys hasn’t actually shown us this awful America, and how everyone within it, including celebrities, are at risk.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
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This state has had some awful governors, but none in modern times ever attempted anything so repugnant as exposing more children to deadly diseases, as DeSantis has.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This isn’t the terrifying Frost of modernist criticism—although the poem is fully aware of darkness, and its world, on the cusp of World War I, like ours, certainly had its terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
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Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Data centers also have sharp demand spikes driven by computing-intensive tasks, such as training models.—
Mark Chediak,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, an ensemble and intensive three-year fellowship program for music school graduates to hone their craft, and its home at the New World Center in Miami Beach, are considered to be crown jewels in the Miami area’s art scene.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Biden administration failed victims by not seeking the death penalty in many violent and gruesome cases.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
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Like Richards, many people also invite the public into the somewhat gruesome medical process.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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