Terrible

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/

Definitions

1. Extremely bad, unpleasant, or of very poor quality
2. Causing significant discomfort or fear, often associated with an unfavorable quality that evokes strong negative reactions
3. Marked by a low quality or unpleasant character that negatively impacts experience ; Evoking a strong sense of unease or fright in a troubling way

Etymology: The word now means little more than "very bad," but for most of its life it described something that inspired dread. Its Latin source, "terribilis," meant "frightful," built from "terreō," "to frighten, terrify, alarm." The same root gives us "terror" and "deter," the sense of frightening someone away from acting. Latin speakers used the adjective for things that were literally awe-inspiring or dreadful, and the word carried that weight into Old French as "terrible." English borrowed it from Old French in the Middle English period, and for centuries it kept its fearsome edge, describing dreadful beings, storms and sights. Its older English rivals, "atol" and "sliþe," had largely disappeared by then, and "grimm" was also largely overtaken by it. The shift from "causing fear" to "bad" is what makes the word unusual. Once a thing was terrible, it was something to dread; over time the emphasis moved from the fear to the poor quality. That weakening is why "terribly" now often serves as a mere intensifier, as in "terribly sorry," where nothing frightening is meant at all.

Synonyms: awful, horrible, dreadful, atrocious, appalling

Antonyms: wonderful, excellent, superb, fantastic, remarkable