horrendous

adjective

hȯ-ˈren-dəs How to pronounce horrendous (audio)
Definition of horrendousnext
1
as in horrible
causing fear a horrendous explosion shook the building

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment a horrendous breach of good manners that should not escape censure

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent emergency room personnel did not flinch even from the most horrendous injuries

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horrendous The worst teams in the National League concluded their final series against one another with an exhibition of truly horrendous baseball on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026 As horrendous as California’s wildfires may be, the conventional rules of imposing liability and spreading the cost just doesn’t work when utilities are state-regulated and state-protected. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2026 His actions in Gaza have been horrendous and any right-minded person should support his arrest. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026 And outclass the Americans is exactly what Belgium did, controlling the midfield, neutralizing their press and forcing horrendous errors. — Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrendous
  1. horrible
  2. awful
  3. horrific
  4. terrifying
  5. ugly
  6. gruesome
  7. terrible
  8. disgusting
Adjective
  • Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • These two rubber bands in our throat are affected by everything from hormones to psychology to a bad day to a horrible night’s sleep to the sniffles or whatever.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • Cyber stocks late last year and into 2026 were being lumped into the awful enterprise software trade.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In 2024, Burke’s squad dragged itself off the mat after an awful (yet at the time, typical) start to the season to go unbeaten in 12 of 13 matches down the stretch and narrowly miss the playoffs.
    — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • The chilling new detail about Jesus Acosta’s horrific spree was revealed at the 31-year-old ex-con’s arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court late Sunday, where he was ordered held without bail for the two cold-blooded shootings.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Then there is the horrific crash on the McHenry County side of the Fox River, where on July 25 Alan Telmini and Magdalena Jablonska, both from Des Plaines, were cruising the river south of the McHenry Dam.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • Equally jubilant and terrifying, his size brings both John and Jim Ross to this mythic quality.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • He is described as a terrifying figure but also one who is learned and devoted to Shiva.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The seventh-round rookie threw an ugly interception in the first quarter, while backpedaling and off his back foot.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Several leading Democrats, including Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, issued statements denouncing Piker’s ugly warning to the Jews as a barely veiled anti-Semitic threat.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • In 1987, the United Klans of America was ordered to pay $7 million for the gruesome 1981 murder of Michael Donald, a Black teenager whose body was found hanging from a tree in Mobile, Alabama.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Her credits include Obi-Wan, Rebel Moon and The Orville, as well as the gruesome culinary creations of Grotesquerie and drinkable blood for American Horror Story.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • But even without it, there seems to be some truth to the idea that if these teams were terrible businesses, they wouldn’t be sold for billions of dollars.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • There is real hope of a postseason push, with the disgusting state of the American League leaving the door open for any team that dares to play well.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This whole situation is discriminatory, disgusting, and quite frankly, Orwellian.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgusting

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horny
horrendous
horrendously
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Cite this Entry

“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrendous. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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