horrible

/ˈhɒrəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɔːrəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhȯr-ə-bəl ˈhär-/ (ame, mw)

horrible — 形容詞

  • horriblepositive
  • more horriblecomparative
  • most horriblesuperlative

1. extremely unpleasant, bad, or upsetting; used to describe experiences, things, s

1.形容詞B1
釋義

糟糕；討厭

非常不好或令人不愉快的

extremely unpleasant, bad, or upsetting; used to describe experiences, things, situations, or people that cause strong dislike or discomfort.

例句

The weather was horrible during our trip to the beach, so we stayed inside.

我們去海灘旅行時天氣糟透了，所以我們待在室內。

collocation: horrible weather

Sumin felt horrible after eating too much cake at the party.

Sumin 在派對上吃了太多蛋糕後，感到非常難受。

pattern: feel + adjective for physical discomfort

同義詞
  • terrible

    Similar intensity but slightly more formal; often used for serious situations (a terrible accident, terrible news).

  • awful

    Same register and very common in everyday speech; can feel slightly weaker and less personal than horrible.

  • lousy

    More informal and slangy; best for minor complaints (a lousy meal, lousy service).

  • dreadful

    More formal and more common in British English; carries a sense of deep dismay.

反義詞
  • wonderful

    Direct opposite for experiences and things that cause great pleasure.

  • lovely

    Opposite in register about personal taste (a lovely meal vs. a horrible meal).

  • pleasant

    Neutral opposite describing agreeable experiences.

文法句型

horrible + noun

feel/look/smell/taste + horrible

so + horrible + that-clause

用法筆記

More informal and emphatic than 'bad.' Can intensify abstract nouns such as 'mess,' 'mistake,' or 'failure' ('a horrible mess'). Typically describes subjective reaction rather than objective quality.

常見錯誤

❌This soup is horrible' (when it is just a little too salty).
✅This soup is too salty for my taste.
💡'Horrible' is very strong; reserve it for genuinely unpleasant experiences, not minor complaints.
❌The weather was horrible, so we cancelled the picnic' (acceptable in speech but too vague for writing).
✅The constant rain made the picnic impossible.
💡In formal writing, a more concrete description is preferred over the emphatic adjective.

2. causing a strong feeling of shock, fear, or horror; used for events, accidents,

2.形容詞B2
釋義

恐怖；駭人

令人震驚害怕的

causing a strong feeling of shock, fear, or horror; used for events, accidents, images, or stories that are deeply disturbing.

例句

The survivors told horrible stories about the earthquake that destroyed their town.

生還者訴說了那場摧毀小鎮的地震的恐怖經歷。

collocation: horrible stories

Isabela could not sleep after watching that horrible horror film.

Isabela 看完那部恐怖驚悚片後睡不著。

collocation: horrible film / horror film

同義詞
  • terrifying

    Focuses specifically on causing fear, whereas horrible can also include disgust or shock.

  • horrifying

    Stronger and more direct than horrible; emphasizes the act of causing horror.

  • gruesome

    Specifically about violence, blood, or injury; narrower than horrible.

  • appalling

    More formal; emphasizes shock and dismay at something deeply wrong.

反義詞
  • comforting

    Describes something that soothes fear or worry.

  • reassuring

    Restores confidence and calm, opposite of causing fear.

  • peaceful

    Describes a calm scene free from disturbance or horror.

文法句型

horrible + noun (accident/crime/scene/dream)

be + horrible to witness/see/hear

用法筆記

Common with nouns like 'accident,' 'crime,' 'scene,' 'murder,' 'war' — the subject is typically an event or visual scene rather than a person or an object of taste. Distinguished from sense 1 by the element of fear or shock: the thing causes genuine horror, not just strong dislike or disappointment.

常見錯誤

❌The test results were horrible' (when meaning you just did poorly).
✅The crash scene was horrible, with overturned cars everywhere.
💡Sense 2 requires real fear or horror; for bad results, use sense 1 or a different word like 'disappointing.'