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terrible

TAIR-uh-buhl/ˈtɛɹəbəl/

6 meanings of terrible

Practice

  1. 1
    horribleadjective
    Very bad, or very unpleasant to have or go through.

    Like milk that has gone bad: you want nothing to do with it.

    The food at that restaurant was terrible.

    We sat through a terrible movie last night.

    UsageSay terrible at something, as in terrible at math.

    Similarawful

  2. 2
    adjective
    Causing great fear, making people feel afraid.

    Like a monster in a story that makes your heart pound.

    The dragon was a terrible sight, breathing fire over the village.

    A terrible roar came from deep inside the cave.

    Similarfearsome, dreadful, terrifying, frightening

    Note
  3. 3
    adjective
    Very great in amount or strength.

    Like turning a sound all the way up: as strong as it can get.

    She was in terrible pain after the fall.

    A terrible storm knocked down trees all over town.

    Similarextreme, great, intense, severe, awful

    Oppositeslight, mild

  4. 4
    feel awfuladjective
    Of a person: feeling or looking sick, or feeling very sorry or unhappy about something.

    I feel terrible, so I'm staying home from school today.

    She felt terrible about forgetting her best friend's birthday.

    UsageSay you look terrible or feel terrible. Feel terrible about something means you feel sorry.

    Similarawful, dreadful, bad, rotten

    Oppositefine, well, great

  5. 5
    adjective
    Strong or powerful enough to make others feel fear or respect.

    Like the biggest, strongest kid on the playground that everyone watches out for.

    The old king was terrible in battle, and all his enemies feared him.

    In the legend, the king led a terrible army no one dared fight.

    Similarformidable, fearsome, fierce, mighty, redoubtable

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 6
    extremelyadverbdialectal
    Very or extremely, used informally in some regions.

    Like adding 'super' in front of a word to make it stronger: terrible cold means super cold.

    It was terrible cold out on the moor last night.

    I'm terrible tired after the long walk home.

    UsageIn most writing, say terribly cold. Keep terrible cold for talk or stories.

    Similarvery, mighty, awful, real, really

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of terrible apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Latin terribilis, meaning 'frightful', from a verb meaning 'to frighten'. English got it through Old French and Middle English.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts