- very unpleasant; making you feel very unhappy, upset or frightened
- a terrible experience
- What terrible news!
- I've just had a terrible thought.
- It was a terrible thing to happen to someone so young.
- That’s a terrible thing to say!
- It smells terrible in here.
- It must have been terrible to witness the accident.
Synonyms terribleterribleawful ▪ horrible ▪ dreadful ▪ vile ▪ horrendousThese words all describe something that is very unpleasant.terrible very bad or unpleasant; making you feel unhappy, frightened, upset, ill, guilty or disapproving:- What terrible news!
- That’s a terrible thing to say!
- That’s an awful colour.
- The weather last summer was awful.
- The coffee tasted horrible.
- What dreadful weather!
- There was a vile smell coming from the room.
- He was in a vile mood.
- The traffic around the city was horrendous.
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful for somebody
- a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile thing
- a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/vile smell
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile/horrendous conditions
- terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile weather
- terrible/awful/dreadful news
Extra Examples- I thought something really terrible had happened.
- It must have been terrible for the survivors.
- Nothing very terrible happened.
- He's had a terrible shock.
- How terrible for you!
- It was the night of that terrible storm.
- Both his parents died when he was six; it was terrible.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- really
- truly
- absolutely
- …
- for
Definitions on the go
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- causing great harm or injury; very serious
- a terrible accident
- He had suffered terrible injuries.
- I'll have to stay with her—she's in a terrible state.
- The storm was terrible and caused a lot of damage.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- really
- truly
- absolutely
- …
- for
- [not before noun] unhappy or ill
- I feel terrible—I think I'll go to bed.
- You look terrible, you'd better sit down.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- really
- truly
- absolutely
- …
- for
- (informal) of very bad quality; very bad
- a terrible meal
- Your driving is terrible!
- I have a terrible memory for names.
- Cyclists claim that most city streets are in terrible condition.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- look
- …
- really
- truly
- absolutely
- …
- for
- [only before noun] used to show the great extent or degree of something bad
- a terrible mistake
- to be in terrible pain
- The room was in a terrible mess.
- It was a terrible tragedy.
- (informal) I had a terrible job (= it was very difficult) to persuade her to come.
- You’ll be in terrible trouble if you’re late again.
- Sometimes the pain is so terrible I can't sleep.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘causing terror’): via French from Latin terribilis, from terrere ‘frighten’.
Check pronunciation:
terrible