adj
terrible
TEH-ruh-buhl
adj
1
Very bad or unpleasant.
"We had a terrible time trying to find parking."
"The food at that restaurant was terrible."
2
Causing great fear or dread.
"The town suffered a terrible fate during the war."
3
Very great in degree; extreme.
"She was in terrible pain after the fall."
How to Use Terrible
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishExtremely bad, unpleasant, or (in older use) frightening.
Common pairings
terrible mistake
feel terrible
terrible weather
Word Forms
terribler comparative, more terrible comparative, more terrible comparative, terriblest superlative, most terrible superlative, most terrible superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “terrible”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
We had a _____ time trying to find parking.
Etymology
From Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis, "frightful," from terrere, "to frighten."