horribly

IPA/ˈhɒrəbli/
KK[hˈɔrəbli]IPA/ˈhɔːrəbli/

horribly — adverb

1. used to describe an action as shockingly bad or to intensify a negative adjectiv

1.adverbB1
Definition

used to describe an action as shockingly bad or to intensify a negative adjective such as embarrassing, expensive, or wrong

Example

Ravi screamed horribly when the lights went out during the storm.

horribly + verb showing manner

The cake that Priya baked for the party tasted horribly sweet.

horribly + adjective (taste)

Common collocations
  • go horribly wrong
  • horribly expensive
  • horribly embarrassing
  • horribly disappointed
  • fail horribly
  • treated horribly
Synonyms
  • terribly

    most common and interchangeable in almost all contexts; slightly less intense

  • dreadfully

    more formal and literary; used more in British English

  • awfully

    very common in informal speech; can sound weaker in some contexts ('awfully good')

  • appallingly

    stronger and more formal; implies moral shock

Antonyms
  • wonderfully

    opposite in manner; describes actions done in a wonderful way

  • beautifully

    opposite in manner; actions done in a beautiful or pleasing way

Grammar Patterns

horribly + adjective

verb + horribly

Usage Note

Can be placed before an adjective (horribly wrong, horribly expensive) to intensify a negative quality, or after a verb (treated horribly, failed horribly) to describe the manner of an action. A common intensifier in everyday speech, slightly stronger than 'very'.

Common Mistakes

The movie was horrible interesting.
The movie was horribly interesting.
'Horrible' is an adjective and cannot modify another adjective; use the adverb form 'horribly'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four intensify a verb or adjective describing something negative, but they differ in tone and strength. 'Terribly' is the most neutral and widely used — it fits both formal and casual contexts ('terribly sorry', 'terribly wrong'). 'Horribly' carries a stronger emotional charge, often implying shock, disgust, or suffering ('horribly disfigured', 'horribly unfair'). 'Dreadfully' leans literary and is more common in British English, giving a slightly old-fashioned feel ('dreadfully dull', 'dreadfully sorry'). 'Awfully' is the most informal and can even weaken the negative sense ('awfully nice' is positive). In daily speech, 'awfully' is the mildest and most frequent, while 'horribly' is chosen when the speaker wants to highlight real distress or failure.

horribly ↗terribly ↗dreadfully ↗awfully ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • most horribly
  • so horribly
  • quite horribly

Phrases

  • go horribly wrong
  • go horribly right (ironic)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Horribly comes from the Latin verb horrēre, meaning 'to tremble' or 'to shudder'. This passed into Old French as horrible, then into Middle English as horrible. Adding the adverbial suffix -ly gave the modern form horribly. The original idea of physical trembling has weakened over time, and the word is now used more broadly to mean 'very badly'.