terrible

ter·ri·ble

 (tĕr′ə-bəl)

adj.

1. Causing great fear or alarm; dreadful: a terrible bolt of lightning; a terrible curse.

2. Extremely formidable: terrible responsibilities.

3. Extreme in extent or degree; intense: "the life for which he had paid so terrible a price" (Leslie Fiedler).

4.

a. Unpleasant; disagreeable: had a terrible time at the party; terrible food.

b. Very bad: a terrible actor.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin terribilis, from terrēre, to frighten.]

---

ter′ri·ble·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

terrible

(ˈtɛrəbəl)

adj

1. very serious or extreme: a terrible cough.

2. informal of poor quality; unpleasant or bad: a terrible meal; a terrible play.

3. causing terror

4. causing awe: the terrible nature of God.

[C15: from Latin terribilis, from terrēre to terrify]

ˈterribleness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ter•ri•ble

(ˈtɛr ə bəl)

adj.

1. distressing; severe.

2. extremely bad; horrible.

3. exciting terror or great fear; dreadful; awful.

4. formidably great: a terrible responsibility.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin terribilis=terr(ēre) to frighten + -ibilis -ible]

ter′ri•ble•ness, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

terrible

– terribly

1. 'terrible'

The adjective terrible is used in two ways. In conversation and in less formal writing, you use it to say that something is very unpleasant or of very poor quality.

I know this has been a terrible shock to you.

His eyesight was terrible.

In writing or conversation, you use terrible to say that something is very shocking or distressing.

That was a terrible air crash last week.

2. 'terribly'

The adverb terribly is sometimes used for emphasizing how shocking or distressing something is.

My son has suffered terribly. He has lost his best friend.

The wound bled terribly.

However, terribly is much more commonly used as a stronger word than 'very' or 'very much'.

I'm terribly sorry.

We all miss him terribly and are desperate for him to come home.

It's a terribly dull place.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'terribly' like this in formal writing.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	terrible - causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse" direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, fearful, awful, dire alarming - frightening because of an awareness of danger
	2.	terrible - exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room" awful, dreadful, abominable, atrocious, unspeakable, painful bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice"
	3.	terrible - intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality; "severe pain"; "a severe case of flu"; "a terrible cough"; "under wicked fire from the enemy's guns"; "a wicked cough" severe, wicked intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense"
	4.	terrible - extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact; "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money" frightful, tremendous, awful colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech extraordinary - beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable; "extraordinary authority"; "an extraordinary achievement"; "her extraordinary beauty"; "enjoyed extraordinary popularity"; "an extraordinary capacity for work"; "an extraordinary session of the legislature"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

terrible

adjective

1. awful, shocking, appalling, terrifying, horrible, dreadful, horrifying, dread, dreaded, fearful, horrendous, monstrous, harrowing, gruesome, horrid, unspeakable, frightful, hellacious (U.S. slang) Thousands suffered terrible injuries in the disaster.

2. (Informal) bad, awful, dreadful, beastly (informal), dire, abysmal, abhorrent, poor, offensive, foul, unpleasant, revolting, rotten (informal), obscene, hideous, vile, from hell (informal), obnoxious, repulsive, frightful, odious, hateful, loathsome, shitty (taboo slang), godawful (slang) I have the most terrible nightmares.
bad great, wonderful, excellent, fine, brilliant, very good, magic, remarkable, superb, pleasant, terrific, delightful, admirable, super, noteworthy

3. ill, sick, unwell, poorly, rough (informal), faint, crook (Austral. & N.Z. informal), dizzy, lousy (informal), nauseated, queasy, out of sorts, nauseous, off colour (Brit. informal), under the weather (informal), indisposed, peaky, wabbit (Scot. informal) I did feel terrible at the time but I'm all right now.

4. very bad, poor, inadequate, awful, appalling (informal), pants (Brit. informal), dreadful, useless (informal), hopeless, pathetic (informal), dire (informal), inferior, duff (Brit. informal), unsatisfactory, lousy (informal), pitiful (informal), laughable, atrocious, abysmal (informal), frightful, substandard, crummy (informal) She admits her French is terrible.

5. serious, desperate, severe, extreme, bad, dangerous, insufferable He claimed that he had a terrible pain in his head. We are in terrible trouble.
serious mild, insignificant, paltry, small, moderate, harmless

6. unkind, nasty, cruel, off (informal), mean, dirty (informal), unfair, foul, beastly (informal), unacceptable, unpleasant, poisonous, shabby, vile, malicious, low-down (informal), hurtful, out of order (Brit. informal), unwarranted, obnoxious, despicable, spiteful, hateful, mean-spirited, contemptible, shitty (taboo slang), wretched, uncharitable, below the belt, uncalled for, dirty rotten (informal) It was a terrible thing to do to someone.

7. incorrigible, right (Brit. informal), real, great, shocking, impossible (informal), extreme, awful, proper (Brit. informal), dreadful, outrageous, fearful (informal), frightful She's a terrible flirt - a real man-eater.

8. guilty, sorry, ashamed, apologetic, chastened, contrite, repentant, guilt-ridden, remorseful, regretful, penitent, shamefaced, full of regret, conscious-stricken, self-reproachful He said he felt terrible about cancelling the concert.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

terrible

adjective

1. Causing or able to cause fear:

appalling, dire, direful, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, formidable, frightful, ghastly, redoubtable, scary, tremendous.

2. Extreme in degree, strength, or effect:

desperate, fierce, furious, intense, vehement, violent.

3. Very bad:

appalling, awful, dreadful, fearful, frightful, ghastly, horrendous, horrible, shocking.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

سَيِّئ جدافَظيع، رَهيب، مُؤْلِم جدامُرْعِب، مُخيفمُرَوِّع

hroznýmizernýděsivě

forfærdeligfrygteliggrusom

schrecklichfurchtbarschlimm

δεινόςτρομερός

terribletremendoatrozespantosopésimo

kauheakauhistuttavamahtavapelottavahirveä

terribleaffreuxatrocehorrible

grozan

borzasztórémesrettenetesszörnyű

hræîilegurskelfilegur

terribileterribilmentetremendopessimo

ひどい

무서운

briesmīgsdrausmīgsšausmīgs

vreselijkwaardeloos

forferdeligfrykteliggrusomubehagelig

straszny

terrível

ужасныйгрозный

grozenstrašen

fruktansvärd

ซึ่งแย่มาก

korkunçmüthişberbatçok kötüdehşet verici

khủng khiếp

很糟的极坏的骇人的可怕的

terrible

[ˈterəbl] ADJ

1. (= very unpleasant) [experience, accident, disease] → terrible, espantoso
it was a terrible thing to have happened → era terrible que hubiese sucedido algo así
it was a terrible thing to see → era horrible verlo
the terrible thing is that I've lost it → lo peor de todo es que lo he perdido

2. (= very bad) [weather, food] → horrible, espantoso
her French is terrible → habla fatal el francés, habla un francés espantoso
"what was it like?" - "terrible!" → -¿qué tal fue? -¡espantoso!
I'm terrible at cooking → se me da fatal la cocina
I'm terrible at remembering names → se me da fatal recordar (los) nombres, soy malísimo para recordar (los) nombres
I've got a terrible cold → tengo un resfriado espantoso
I've had a terrible day at the office → he tenido un día malísimo or horrible en la oficina
to feel terrible (= guilty, ill) → sentirse fatal or muy mal
to look terrible (= ill) → tener muy mal aspecto
she looked terrible in that trouser suit → ese traje pantalón le quedaba fatal
I've got a terrible memory → tengo una memoria malísima
I've made a terrible mistake → he cometido un terrible error
you sound terrible, is something wrong? → ¡vaya tono!, ¿pasa algo?
we had a terrible time → lo pasamos fatal

3. (as intensifier) (= great) [pity, shame] → verdadero
I've been a terrible fool → he sido un verdadero imbécil
the garden is in a terrible mess → el jardín está hecho un verdadero desastre
it was or it came as a terrible shock → fue un golpe terrible
he's having terrible trouble with his homework → le está costando horrores or un montón hacer los deberes

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

terrible

[ˈtɛrɪb^əl] adj

(= very unpleasant) [experience, shock, nightmare] → terrible; [conditions, life, news] → terrible; [heat, sight] → terrible; [conditions] → terrible, épouvantable

(= very serious) [injuries, accident, disease, consequences, storm] → terrible

(= ill) to feel terrible → se sentir très mal, ne pas se sentir bien du tout
to look terrible → n'avoir pas l'air bien du tout

(of very bad quality) [hotel, food, memory, weather] → épouvantable
My French is terrible → Mon français est épouvantable.
I've had a terrible day at the office → J'ai eu une journée épouvantable au bureau.

(for emphasis) (= great)
It's a terrible waste! → C'est vraiment du gâchis!
He's a terrible liar → C'est un grand menteur., C'est un incroyable menteur.
I was a terrible fool → J'ai été vraiment bête.

(= guilty) to feel terrible about sth → s'en vouloir pour qch, s'en vouloir terriblement pour qch
to feel terrible for doing sth → s'en vouloir de faire (or d'avoir fait) qch, s'en vouloir terriblement de faire (or d'avoir fait) qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

terrible

adj

→ schrecklich, furchtbar; he is terrible at golf → er spielt schrecklich (inf) → or furchtbar schlecht Golf; I feel terrible (= feel ill) → mir ist fürchterlich schlecht; (= feel guilty) → es ist mir furchtbar peinlich; to sound terrible (= ill) → sich schrecklich anhören; I sound terrible on tape → auf Band klinge ich furchtbar

(inf: = absolute) fool → furchtbar

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

terrible

[ˈtɛrəbl] adj (gen) → terribile, tremendo/a; (play, film) → orrendo/a; (performance, report) → pessimo/a; (weather) → bruttissimo/a
to be terrible at sth → essere un disastro in qc

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

terrible

(ˈterəbl) adjective

1. very bad. a terrible singer; That music is terrible! verskriklik سَيِّئ جدا ужасен ruim mizerný schrecklich forfærdelig; grusom φοβερός, απαίσιοςatroz, pésimo, horrible, horroroso kohutav, halb بد؛ مزخرف kauhea atroceנורא, איום भयानक užasan, grozan iszonyú buruk hræðilegur orribile ひどい 아주 서투른 baisus, siaubingas briesmīgs; šausmīgs teruk verschrikkelijk forferdelig, grusomokropny ډارووانكى، خطر ناكه، زورور ( لكه زلزله )، هيبتناكه: خورا ډير، ډيرلوى ruim groaznic ужасный mizerný grozen užasan förfärlig ซึ่งแย่มาก berbat, çok kötü 很糟的，極壞的 жахливий بہت خراب tồi, chán 很糟的，极坏的

2. causing great pain, suffering, hardship etc. War is terrible; It was a terrible disaster. verskriklik فَظيع، رَهيب، مُؤْلِم جدا страшен terrível hrozný schrecklich grusom φοβερός, καταστροφικόςhorrible, horroroso hirmus سخت؛ طاقت فرسا hirveä terribleנורא, איום भद्दा, खराब strašan, užasan irtózatos menyiksa hræðilegur terribile ものすごく嫌な 가혹한 baisus šausmīgs; drausmīgs dahsyat vreselijkgrusom, frykteligstraszny کلک terrível teribil, îngrozitor ужасный hrozný strašen užasan fruktansvärd น่ากลัว korkunç, müthiş 可怕的 жахливий تکليف دہ thảm khốc 可怕的

3. causing great fear or horror. The noise of the guns was terrible. verskriklik مُرْعِب، مُخيف страшен terrível děsivě schrecklich forfærdelig τρομακτικόςhorrible, horroroso õudne وحشتناک kaamea terribleנורא भयानक, डरावना strahovit, užasan félelmetes mengerikan skelfilegur terribile 恐ろしい 무서운 baisus drausmīgs dahsyat afschuwelijk redselsfull, frykteligokropny هيبتناكه terrível teribil, înspăimântător страшный desivý, strašný strašen užasan fruktansvärd, ohygglig สยองขวัญ dehşet verici, korkunç 駭人的 жахливий ہولناک khủng khiếp 骇人的

ˈterribly adverb

1. very. She is terribly clever. verskriklik جِدّا страшно extremamente ohromně schrecklich forfærdeligt φοβερά, εξαιρετικάmuy, extremadamente väga بسیار hirveän à l'extrême “נוֹרָא” बहुत užasno, jako borzasztóan sangat ákaflega, óskaplega estremamente 非常に 매우 baisiai briesmīgi sangat buitengewoonfryktelig, forferdeligstrasznie دیره extremamente teribil/îngrozitor de очень ohromne, veľmi strašansko izuzetno rysligt, hemskt อย่างมาก çok 極端地，非常地 дуже بہت زيادہ rất 极端地，非常地

2. in a terrible way. Does your leg hurt terribly? verskriklik بصورَةٍ فَظيعَه ужасно horrivelmente strašně schrecklich forfærdeligt; frygteligt φοβερά, τρομεράmucho kohutavalt بطور وحشتناک hirveästi terriblementנוראי प्रचंड रूप से, घोर, विकरालता से užasno, jako szörnyen parah ægilega terribilmente ひどく 몹시 labai, siaubingai stipri; briesmīgi teruk vreselijkfryktelig, forferdelig okropnie په ډاروونكى توګه horrivelmente îngrozitor ужасно strašne strašno mnogo rysligt, hemskt อย่างเลวร้าย çok kötü (biçimde) 很厲害 сильно, дуже تکليف دہ طور پر một cách nặng nề, khủng khiếp 很厉害

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

terrible

→ مُرَوِّع hrozný frygtelig schrecklich τρομερός atroz kauhea horrible grozan terribile ひどい 무서운 vreselijk grusom straszny terrível ужасный fruktansvärd ซึ่งแย่มาก korkunç khủng khiếp 很糟的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

terrible

a. terrible.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

• The service was terrible → كَانَتْ الـخِدْمَةُ سَيِّئَةً لِلغَايَةِ → Obsluha byla strašná → Betjeningen var elendig → Die Bedienung war miserabel → Το σέρβις ήταν απαίσιο → El servicio ha sido espantoso → Palvelu oli todella huonoa → Le service a été exécrable → Usluga je bila jako loša → Il servizio è stato pessimo → サービスがひどかったです → 서비스가 엉망이었어요 → De service was vreselijk → Servicen var forferdelig → Obsługa była okropna → O serviço foi horrível → Обслуживание было отвратительным → Det var urusel service → บริการแย่มาก → Servis berbattı → Dịch vụ kém quá → 服务很糟糕

Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009