annus horribilis

/ ˈænʊs hɒˈriːbɪlɪs /

noun

1. a terrible year

Word History and Origins

Origin of annus horribilis¹

C20: from Latin, modelled on annus mirabilis , first used by Elizabeth II of the year 1992

Example Sentences

It was an annus mirabilis for the hideous (Putin, Assad, Cyrus), an annus horribilis for just about everyone else.

From The Daily Beast

Affleck later called the period the “annus horribilis of my life.”

From The Daily Beast

The incident caps an annus horribilis for the Spanish Royal Family.

From The Daily Beast

Finally, last season, Idol's annus horribilis, the wheels fell off the cart entirely.

From The Daily Beast

It has been, to put it mildly, an annus horribilis for the families of Pan Am Flight 103.

From The Daily Beast