terrible

The word “terrible” means very bad or unpleasant. In plain terms, extremely bad, unpleasant, or (in older use) frightening.

“Terrible” is pronounced TEH-ruh-buhl (/ˈtɛɹəbəl/ in IPA).

Here is “terrible” used in a sentence: “We had a terrible time trying to find parking.”

The opposite of “terrible” — its antonyms — is excellent.

“Terrible” is an adjective.

The word “terrible” comes from Latin. From Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis, "frightful," from terrere, "to frighten.".

“Terrible” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Terrible” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: very bad or unpleasant.

Both words come from the same root as "terror," but their meanings have split. Terrible means very bad or unpleasant, while terrific has drifted to mean excellent or wonderful. So a terrible film is one you regret watching, but a terrific film is one you loved, near opposites despite the shared origin.

The two are close and often interchangeable, both meaning very bad. Horrible leans slightly toward causing disgust, shock, or horror, while terrible is a broader, more general term for anything of poor quality or deeply unpleasant. A meal can be terrible simply by being bad; horrible suggests it was almost sickening.

The opposite of terrible is a word meaning very good, such as wonderful, excellent, great, or fantastic. In casual speech people also swing to "terrific," even though it shares terrible's root. Choosing the right opposite depends on context: "wonderful" for quality, "pleasant" when terrible describes an unpleasant experience.

Yes. Terrible is an emphatic, strongly negative word, stronger than "bad" and roughly on a level with "awful" or "dreadful." It carries real weight, so it suits serious complaints and genuine displeasure. In very casual speech it can be softened for exaggeration, as in "a terrible habit," but it remains firmly negative.