Horrible

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/

Definitions

1. Extremely unpleasant, disagreeable, or offensive in a way that causes strong negative feelings or distress
2. Causing significant dread or intense aversion, this term describes qualities that are shockingly unpleasant or offensive in a way that evokes strong negative emotions or discomfort
3. Evoking profound disgust or revulsion, this term refers to something that is strikingly bad or distressing in a way that can lead to intense dislike or fear

Etymology: The word "horrible" carries a physical origin in its Latin ancestor "horribilis", built from "horrere", meaning "to tremble" or "to bristle." The image is literal: the Romans pictured fear as something that made the hair stand on end and the body shiver. English took the term through Old French, and it first appears in Middle English in 1303, where it was spelled both "horrible" and "orrible." The suffix tells the rest of the story. "-ible" marks something capable of being acted upon, so "horribilis" meant "that which can be made to shudder" or, more loosely, "fearful." The root "horrere" also gave English "horror" and "horrid," which share the same trembling sense. The modern meaning of "horrible," which now describes anything extremely unpleasant, grew out of that original shiver of fear.

Synonyms: terrible, awful, dreadful, atrocious, appalling

Antonyms: wonderful, pleasant, enjoyable