Definitions

terrible

[ter-uh-buhl] / ˈtɛr ə bəl /

ADJECTIVE

bad, horrible

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abhorrent appalling atrocious awesome awful dangerous dire disastrous disturbing dreadful frightful ghastly gruesome harrowing hideous horrendous horrid horrifying serious severe shocking unfortunate unpleasant

WEAK

awe-inspiring beastly desperate dread dreaded fearful hateful inconvenient loathsome monstrous obnoxious odious offensive petrifying poor repulsive revolting rotten unnerving unwelcome vile

Antonyms

STRONGEST

beautiful calming comforting delightful fortunate good happy inoffensive lucky mild nice pleasant pleasing trivial unimportant wonderful

WEAK

great

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.

In 2017, Mr. Mian writes, Mr. Putin “commissioned a statue of Ivan the Terrible in central Moscow. It immediately became a pilgrimage destination.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

The Terrible Towels were everywhere, but there were precious few opportunities to swirl them.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2025

Tim: Terrible optics yet again coming from the club.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

Referring to the types of dragon featured in the movie, he added: "I could probably fit a Terrible Terror, but I couldn't fit a Night Fury."

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

From off in the rear, the Terrible Trivium and the wobbly Gelatinous Giant urged them on with glee.

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster

Vocabulary lists containing terrible

Week 2 Vocabulary

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Spelling Practice, Unit 5

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Spelling Practice 2, Unit 8

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!