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horrid
[ hawr-id, hor- ]
adjective
- such as to cause horror; shockingly dreadful; abominable.
- extremely unpleasant or disagreeable:
horrid weather; She thought her uncle was horrid.
Synonyms: nasty, abominable, odious, vile
- Archaic. shaggy or bristling; rough.
horrid
/ ˈhɒrɪd /
adjective
- disagreeable; unpleasant
a horrid meal
- repulsive or frightening
- informal.unkind
Derived Forms
- ˈhorridly, adverb
- ˈhorridness, noun
Other Words From
- horrid·ly adverb
- horrid·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of horrid1
Example Sentences
"It's actually a very good and moving script. And I say that as someone who's horrid about scripts. This was brilliant."
A horrid hiss arched above me from the airborne one-eyed cat.
The problem is that when it was bad, it was horrid.
Inside was a diorama featuring models of nine crustaceans, including a coconut crab, usually found on tropical islands; a decorator crab, which covers its body with algae for camouflage; and the knobbly horrid elbow crab.
Prof Eleanor Riley, an immunologist at the University of Edinburgh, has had her own "horrid" bout of Covid that was "much worse" than expected.
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Related Words
More About Horrid
What does horrid mean?
Horrid is popularly used to mean extremely bad—awful, dreadful, or horrible.
When it’s used to describe a person, it often means extremely disagreeable or cruel.
Much less commonly, it can mean literally causing horror—horrifying or horrific.
Example: Everyone seems to like that restaurant, but I had a horrid experience there—bad food and even worse service.
Where does horrid come from?
The first records of the word horrid come from the late 1500s. It comes from the Latin horridus, which means “prickly” or “rough” and ultimately derives from the Latin verb horrēre, meaning “to tremble” or “to bristle with fear” (a reference to one’s hair standing on end due to extreme fear). Horrēre is the basis of the word horror and the related words horrific, horrifying, and horrible.
Horrid is most popularly used to simply mean “really bad,” in much the same way that horrible and terrible are often used, as in I had a horrid time at that party—no one would talk to me! Sometimes, though, horrid means truly horrific or horrifying, as in In my 30 years on the job, I’ve never seen a crime scene more horrid than this. Real-life horror, like violence, can be described as horrid, but you wouldn’t call a horror movie horrid to mean it was really scary—you’d probably call it horrifying or terrifying. If it was really stupid and poorly made, though, then you could call it horrid. (Unless it was so bad that it was good, in which case you might call it terrific!)
Did you know ... ?
How is horrid used in real life?
The word horrid is always negative, but it’s commonly used in both serious and not-so-serious contexts.
The report is the second in 15 months detailing horrid, violent conditions in Alabama's men's prisons. https://t.co/r6fMxtXXaA
— MontgomeryAdvertiser (@MGMAdvertiser) July 23, 2020
It's looking to be a clear night for many of us this evening. A nice break from the horrid weather and a good excuse to go stargazing.
Wrap up warm, go outside, look up, take some pics if you want and enjoy :)
The Moon and Venus will look particularly splendid.— VirtualAstro (@VirtualAstro) February 27, 2020
Literally praying that my friends roommate moves out so I can move in with her and leave my horrid roommate behind! 🙏
— jess 💋 (@jesseckhoff) December 13, 2014
Try using horrid!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of horrid?
A. awful
B. terrible
C. lousy
D. delightful
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