Horridus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a repugnant or fierce appearance, often invoking fear or disgust in others
2. Exhibiting a terrifying or gruesome nature that makes it unsettling to encounter
3. Possessing an intimidating or horrifying quality that evokes strong reactions of dread or aversion

Etymology: "Horridus" is Latin, meaning "bristling," "rough," or "shaggy," and its core image is hair or bristles standing on end. The adjective "horrid" comes from it, and that bristling image is still visible in the word's earliest sense. The Latin verb "horrere" ("to bristle, to stand on end") is the root, so a frightened person's hair literally rose, which is why the word came to mean something causing fear. In English, "horrid" entered the language in the 1500s, borrowed directly from Latin, and it originally described things that were rough, bristly or shaggy, not necessarily frightening. The shift toward "dreadful" grew out of the physical reaction the word described: something so awful that it made one shudder. Over time "horrid" softened, and in modern English it often means merely unpleasant or nasty, as in a "horrid day," while "horrible" and "horrific" carry the stronger sense of terror.

Synonyms: horrid, frightful, ghastly, terrible, grim

Antonyms: pleasant, delightful, nice, agreeable, lovely