terrible

1. 1
   horribleadjective

   Very bad or unpleasant; of very poor quality.

   Reviewers called the hotel's service terrible and wildly overpriced.

   His handwriting is so terrible that no one can read his notes.

   UsageSomeone is terrible at something: terrible at math, terrible at remembering names.

   Similarawful

2. 2
   adjective

   So frightening or dreadful that it fills people with real terror, often mixed with awe, as a war, a storm, or a monster can, not merely bad or unpleasant.

   The storm god was depicted as a terrible figure who could level whole cities.

   The army marched beneath the banner of a terrible and vengeful king.

   Similarfearsome, dreadful, terrifying, frightening

   Note

   Here the word carries real dread, often mixed with awe. C. S. Lewis builds on exactly that in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), insisting that Aslan can be good and terrible at once. The pairing only works if terrible means fearsome, not bad.

3. 3
   adjective

   Very great or extreme in degree or extent.

   He felt a terrible hunger after several days without food.

   The defenders faced terrible odds against a far larger force.

   Similarextreme, great, intense, severe, awful

   Oppositeslight, mild

4. 4
   feel awfuladjective

   Of a person, unwell in how one feels or looks, or weighed down by guilt or unhappiness over something.

   You look terrible; did you get any sleep last night?

   He felt terrible about the harsh things he had said to his brother at the wedding.

   UsageUsually after feel or look: you look terrible after no sleep; feel terrible about something means feeling guilty, sorry or upset.

   Similarawful, dreadful, bad, rotten

   Oppositefine, well, great

5. 5
   adjective

   Formidable; powerful enough to inspire fear or respect.

   In battle the young queen was terrible, and her enemies fled at the sight of her banner.

   The general commanded a terrible army feared across the whole region.

   Similarformidable, fearsome, fierce, mighty, redoubtable

   Note

   Here fear has turned into respect, and the word can praise. Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island has young men at the inn pretending to admire the old captain as the sort of man who "made England terrible at sea," meaning mighty, not wicked. Formidable capacity also explains "a terrible eater" in H. L. Brækstad's 1881 translation of Asbjørnsen's Norwegian tales: a worried farmer means someone who eats prodigiously, not badly. Do not confuse it with the "very bad" meaning. Context decides which is meant. Source

   Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

   • Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island. gutenberg.org
   • Young men at the inn describe the captain as the sort of man who made England terrible at sea. en.wikisource.org
   • Brækstad's translation of Asbjørnsen's Norwegian tales was published in 1881. archive.org
   • The translation contains 'a terrible eater', describing someone who eats prodigiously. fiftywordsforsnow.com
   • The farmer fears that the youngster's enormous appetite will impoverish him; the description expresses concern rather than praise. etc.usf.edu

Showing meanings only. Show all 6