horrendous
11 synonyms for horrendous, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or bad.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
direful
fearsome
How to use horrendous
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
horrendous conditions
horrendous mistake
horrendous traffic
Etymology
From Latin horrendus, "to be dreaded" — a form of the verb horreo, "to shudder or tremble".
Full origin of horrendous →Frequently asked questions
What does “horrendous” mean?
The word “horrendous” means extremely unpleasant, shocking, or bad. In plain terms, very bad indeed — often used for shocking or upsetting situations, but also loosely for anything terrible (a horrendous mess).
How do you pronounce “horrendous”?
“Horrendous” is pronounced huh-REHN-duhs (/həˈɹɛndəs/ in IPA).
How do you use “horrendous” in a sentence?
Here is “horrendous” used in a sentence: “The traffic this morning was horrendous.”
What part of speech is “horrendous”?
“Horrendous” is an adjective.
Where does the word “horrendous” come from?
The word “horrendous” comes from Latin. From Latin horrendus, "to be dreaded" — a form of the verb horreo, "to shudder or tremble".
Is “horrendous” a common word?
“Horrendous” is an uncommon word in modern English.
