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terrible

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terrible

  • /ˈtɛɹəbəl/ Canada, US, UK
  • [ˈtɛɹəbl̩] Canada, US, UK
  • /ˈtɛɹɪbəl/ Canada, US, UK
  • [ˈtɛɹɪbl̩] Canada, US, UK
  • /ˈteɹəbəl/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /ˈtɛɾəbəl/ Scotland, Wales
  • /ˈtɛɾɪbəl/ Scotland, Wales
  • /ˈtɝ.bəl/ US, archaic, dialectal
  • /ˈtɛɚ.bəl/ US, archaic, dialectal

Sounds like tearable (with /ə/ and the Mary–marry–merry merger)

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“to frighten, terrify, alarm; to deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.

Displaced Old English atol and sliþe, while also largely overtaking grimm.

adjective terribler · more terrible · terriblest · most terrible

  1. Causing terror, alarm or fear; dreadful The witch laid a terrible curse on him.
  2. Formidable, powerful. […]and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog," and "real old salt," and such-like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
  3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent. He paid a terrible price for his life of drinking.
  4. Very unpleasant; disagreeable. The food was terrible, but it was free.
  5. Having extremely bad qualities; lousy. Whatever he thinks, he is a terrible driver.
  6. Ireland, especially, with "for" Prone to a particular temptation. He's a terrible man for beer.

    Similar: awful

Opposite: excellent

adverb more terrible · most terrible

  1. colloquial, dialectal In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully. ‘Oh, terrible bad, sir, terrible deep the snow is,’ said the hedgehog.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: dreadful, direful, horrific, dreaded, dread, atrocious, horrendous, fearful, fearsome, frightening, frightful, alarming, awful, abominable, dire, painful

adjective

Opposite: excellent

Translations

Every language

adj dreadful; causing alarm or fear

Españolterrible
한국어끔찍하다 kkeumjjikhada
日本語恐ろしい osoroshii, 酷い hidoi
中文詭異的 /诡异的, 可怕的 kěpà, 夠嗆 /够呛 gòuqiàng, 嚇人的 /吓人的 xiàrén de
हिन्दीभयंकर bhayaṅkar, भयानक bhayānak
Portuguêsterrível
Françaisterrible, horrible, épouvantable
Deutschschrecklich
Italianoterribile
Ελληνικάτρομερός tromerós, φοβερός foverós, φρικτός friktós
Românăgroaznic, teribil
Русскийужа́сный užásnyj, стра́шный strášnyj, жу́ткий žútkij
Tiếng Việtkhủng khiếp
العربيةفَظِيع faẓīʕ
עבריתנורא, איום

adj most formidable

中文厲害 /厉害 lìhài, 利害 lìhài, 厉害 lìhài, 利害 lìhai, 猛烈 měngliè
Portuguêsformidável
Françaisterrible
Ελληνικάτρομερός tromerós, φοβερός foverós, δεινός deinós
Românăgroaznic
Русскийгро́зный gróznyj
العربيةمُرْعِب murʕib

adj intense; extreme in degree or extent

日本語極端な kyokutan na
हिन्दीविकराल vikrāl
Portuguêsterrível
Françaisterrible, épouvantable
Ελληνικάφρικτός friktós, δεινός deinós
Românăgroaznic, impresionant
Русскийужа́сный užásnyj
العربيةمُرْعِب murʕib

adj very unpleasant

Españolhorrible
हिन्दीभयावह bhayāvah
Portuguêsterrível, horrível
Françaisépouvantable, horrible
Deutschfurchtbar
Ελληνικάαπαίσιος apaísios, φρικτός friktós
Românăgroaznic, înspăimântător
Русскийужа́сный užásnyj
العربيةفَظِيع faẓīʕ, أَرْبَد ʔarbad

adj very bad

Españolhorrible, infumable
日本語酷い hidoi, 惨憺たる santan taru
中文糟糕的, 太壞了 /太坏了
Portuguêsterrível, horrível
Françaisterrible, épouvantable
Deutschfurchtbar, miserabel
Ελληνικάαπαίσιος apaísios, φρικτός friktós, κάκιστος kákistos
Românăîngrozitor, înspăimântător
Русскийужа́сный užásnyj
العربيةفَظِيع faẓīʕ, أَرْبَد ʔarbad
עבריתנורא norá, נוראי noraí, גרוע garúa

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Cite this
MLA

"terrible." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/terrible. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

terrible. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/terrible

Chicago

"terrible." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/terrible.

BibTeX
@misc{terrible_2026,
  title = {terrible},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/terrible},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}