horror

[ hawr-er, hor- ]

noun

1. an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear:

   to shrink back from a mutilated corpse in horror.

   Synonyms: consternation, dismay, dread

   Antonyms: serenity

2. anything that causes such a feeling:

   killing, looting, and other horrors of war.

3. such a feeling as a quality or condition:

   to have known the horror of slow starvation.

4. a strong aversion; abhorrence:

   to have a horror of emotional outbursts.

   Synonyms: abomination, hatred, detestation, antipathy, loathing

   Antonyms: attraction

5. Informal. something considered bad or tasteless:

   That wallpaper is a horror. The party was a horror.

6. horrors, Informal.
   1. delirium tremens.
   2. extreme depression.

adjective

1. inspiring or creating horror, loathing, aversion, etc.:

   The hostages told horror stories of their year in captivity.

2. centered upon or depicting terrifying or macabre events:

   a horror movie.

interjection

1. horrors, (used as a mild expression of dismay, surprise, disappointment, etc.)

horror

/ ˈhɒrə /

noun

1. extreme fear; terror; dread
2. intense loathing; hatred
3. often plural a thing or person causing fear, loathing, etc
4. modifier having a frightening subject, esp a supernatural one

   a horror film

Word History and Origins

Origin of horror¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin horror, equivalent to horr- (stem of horrēre “to bristle with fear”; horrendous ) + -or -or ¹; replacing Middle English orrour, from Anglo-French, from Latin horrōr-, stem of horror

Word History and Origins

Origin of horror¹

C14: from Latin: a trembling with fear; compare hirsute

Idioms and Phrases

see under throw up one's hands .

Synonym Study

See terror.

Example Sentences

Lily Lesh, 25, from Cardiff, said she had never had the implant after being "scared off by the horror stories".

From BBC

For nearly 10 minutes last June, Glendale High basketball coach Art Samontina watched on his cell phone in horror as his 6-year-old son, who had pneumonia, stopped breathing and doctors tried to revive him.

From Los Angeles Times

But the horror of global warming has put an end to that.

From Los Angeles Times

China, the West believes, would react with horror at the use of nuclear weapons - thus discouraging Putin from making true on his threats.

From BBC

“The whole ‘Merciless’ album is based on my love of horror movies.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apprehension
• awe
• consternation
• disgust
• dismay
• dread
• fear
• fright
• hatred
• panic
• revulsion
• terror