1
as in horrible
causing fear
a terrible nightmare that woke me up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
I have a terrible headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
that is a terrible movie to let your six-year-old watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in awful
extremely unsatisfactory
this nonfat ice cream is terrible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in poor
of low quality
manufactures terrible clothes that often tear after a single wash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrible
During the president's first term, lots of folks said that the president's historic tariffs on China during the first term were going to be terrible for the economy.
—
ABC News, 6 July 2025
Even one instance of an innocent person being swept in raids is terrible, but to witness multiple cases of people being detained, deported and denied due process in a court of law is disheartening.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Fireworks Can Pose Serious Risks Dr. Pham shared the story of a patient and mom, Lisa Dickerson, who had a terrible injury from fireworks.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 2 July 2025
Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
ABC News, 6 July 2025
Even one instance of an innocent person being swept in raids is terrible, but to witness multiple cases of people being detained, deported and denied due process in a court of law is disheartening.
—David Plazas, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Fireworks Can Pose Serious Risks Dr. Pham shared the story of a patient and mom, Lisa Dickerson, who had a terrible injury from fireworks.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 2 July 2025
Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrible
Adjective
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Maybe the news reports and images trigger your feelings around a horrible experience at a camp, a personal loss of a child, or even just a loss of feeling safe and in control of the world, said Hurlbert.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
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For many who were directly affected by the flood, these post-flood days have been like waking up from a horrible nightmare.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Early Friday morning, intense rain caused flash flooding across Texas Hill Country.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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Anybody who thought Messi would rest after the intense international tournament does not know Messi.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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California homeowner’s insurance premiums were already rising before the horrific Southern California wildfires in January.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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However, the idea that Gunn was going to make an awful Superman movie does not match up with his history of comic book productions across Marvel and DC.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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This has been an awful process—a frantic rush to meet an artificial deadline that has tested every limit of this institution.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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But August is perhaps a poor month in which to rally the staff.—
John Updike,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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For certain situations, particularly if someone is in poor health, experts generally say claiming early makes sense.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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For Bertram, whose family winery has roots deep in the terraced vineyards of the valley, the night was a blur of frantic decisions and terrifying uncertainty.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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But this is still grand blockbuster filmmaking: The scene where bombs explode across Gotham is as memorable and terrifying as anything in the series.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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The military would prefer to focus on managing ever-growing threats from satellites, an intensive effort that requires continual monitoring as other nations' increasingly sophisticated spacecraft maneuver from one orbit to another.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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Other all-original haunted houses will include Jason Universe, which takes guests back to the summer camp where, one Friday the 13th, the gruesome legend was born.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrible. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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