1
as in horrible
causing fear
a horrendous explosion shook the building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a horrendous breach of good manners that should not escape censure
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
emergency room personnel did not flinch even from the most horrendous injuries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
But her latest act is horrendous and cannot be supported.
—
Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The horrendous abuses that took place under Bright Horizon's care were nothing short of despicable.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
If your grout isn't horrendous with dirt or stains, this might be a great cleaner for brightening the lines.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Coming off a baffling loss at a Jazz team trying to stack losses on Monday, the Warriors returned to Chase Center on Tuesday and lost 130-124 in overtime to a horrendous Bulls outfit with only eight active players.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
The horrendous abuses that took place under Bright Horizon's care were nothing short of despicable.
—Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
If your grout isn't horrendous with dirt or stains, this might be a great cleaner for brightening the lines.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Coming off a baffling loss at a Jazz team trying to stack losses on Monday, the Warriors returned to Chase Center on Tuesday and lost 130-124 in overtime to a horrendous Bulls outfit with only eight active players.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrendous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrendous
Adjective
-
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The timing is awful, as Rodon was scheduled to make a rehab start with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.—
Logan Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Broncos were awful on the ground.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
-
A lot of his struggles stemmed from the Raiders’ horrific offensive line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What was John thinking before the surface of the water appeared before his windshield, rushing forward at terrifying speed?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
-
As The Boys presents a terrifying dystopia under Homelander (Antony Starr) in the fifth and final season, Eric Kripke recently noted that any narrative similarities to our current dystopia are purely coincidental.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The outcome was already decided – an ugly display of basketball that was never competitive – but potentially losing Doncic proverbially sucked the oxygen out of the visitors’ locker room after the game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And in another gruesome moment, there is a frightening shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood, with bodies strewn across a banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Living under an openly misogynistic president may have felt freakish in 2017, but by his second term, bigotry became yet another disgusting norm.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The amount of disrespect shown the Broncos is disgusting.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrendous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrendous. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
