Word Study
terrible
CIDE DICTIONARY
terrible, a. [F., fr. L. terribilis, fr. terrere to frighten. See Terror.].
- Adapted or likely to excite terror, awe, or dread; dreadful; formidable. [1913 Webster]"Prudent in peace, and terrible in war." [1913 Webster]"Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible." [1913 Webster]
- Excessive; extreme; severe. [1913 Webster]"The terrible coldness of the season." [1913 Webster]
Syn. -- Terrific; fearful; frightful; formidable; dreadful; horrible; shocking; awful.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
terrible, adj.
1 colloq. very great or bad (a terrible bore).
2 colloq. very incompetent (terrible at tennis).
3 causing terror; fit to cause terror; awful, dreadful, formidable.
1 colloq. very great or bad (a terrible bore).
2 colloq. very incompetent (terrible at tennis).
3 causing terror; fit to cause terror; awful, dreadful, formidable.
Derivative
terribleness n.
Etymology
ME f. F f. L terribilis f. terrere frighten
THESAURUS
terrible
aberrant, abnormal, abominable, acute, alarming, appalling, arduous, arrant, ashamed, astounding, atrocious, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, bad, baneful, base, beastly, beneath contempt, blameworthy, brutal, concentrated, conscience-stricken, contemptible, contrite, criminal, deadly, delinquent, deplorable, desperate, despicable, detestable, deviant, difficult, dire, direful, disagreeable, disgraceful, disgusting, distressed, distressing, dread, dreaded, dreadful, egregious, enormous, evil, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, fell, fetid, fierce, filthy, flagrant, forbidding, formidable, foul, frightening, frightful, fulsome, furious, ghastly, ghoulish, gory, grave, grievous, grim, grisly, gross, grotesque, gruesome, guilty, hardly the thing, harrowing, hateful, heavy, heinous, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, howling, ignominious, illegal, improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecorous, infamous, intolerable, joyless, laborious, lamentable, loathsome, lousy, macabre, mephitic, miserable, monstrous, morbid, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, nefarious, noisome, not done, not the thing, notorious, noxious, obnoxious, odious, off-base, off-color, offensive, out-of-line, outrageous, pitiable, pitiful, rank, redoubtable, regretful, regrettable, remorseful, repelling, reprehensible, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, rotten, rousing, rueful, sacrilegious, sad, savage, scandalous, schlock, schrecklich, scurvy, serious, severe, shabby, shameful, shameless, shocking, shoddy, sinful, sordid, sorry, squalid, strenuous, terrible, terrific, terrifying, thumping, toilsome, too bad, tough, tragic, tremendous, unbearable, unclean, undue, unfit, unfitting, unfortunate, unhappy, unlawful, unpleasant, unrighteous, unseemly, unspeakable, unsuitable, vehement, vicious, vile, villainous, violent, whacking, wicked, woeful, worst, worthless, wretched, wrong, wrongfulROGET THESAURUS
terrible
Fear
N fear, timidity, diffidence, want of confidence, apprehensiveness, fearfulness, solicitude, anxiety, care, apprehension, misgiving, feeze, mistrust, suspicion, qualm, hesitation, nervousness, restlessness, inquietude, disquietude, worry, concern, batophobia, heartquake, flutter, trepidation, fear and trembling, perturbation, tremor, quivering, shaking, trembling, throbbing heart, palpitation, ague fit, cold sweat, abject fear, mortal funk, heartsinking, despondency, despair, fright, affright, affrightment, boof alarm, dread, awe, terror, horror, dismay, consternation, panic, scare, stampede (of horses), intimidation, terrorism, reign of terror, bug bear, bugaboo, scarecrow, hobgoblin, nightmare, Gorgon, mormo, ogre, Hurlothrumbo, raw head and bloody bones, fee-faw-fum, bete noire, enfant terrible, alarmist, fearing, frightened, in fear, in a fright, haunted with the fear of, afeard, afraid, fearful, timid, timorous, nervous, diffident, coy, faint- hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety, more frightened than hurt, aghast, awe-stricken, horror-stricken, terror-stricken, panic- stricken, awestruck, awe-stricken, horror-struck, frightened to death, white as a sheet, pale, pale as a ghost, pale as death, pale as ashes, breathless, in hysterics, inspiring fear, alarming, formidable, redoubtable, perilous, portentous, fearful, dread, dreadful, fell, dire, direful, shocking, terrible, terrific, tremendous, horrid, horrible, horrific, ghastly, awful, awe-inspiring, revolting, Gorgonian, in terrorem, Int, angels and ministers of grace defend us!, ante tubam trepidat, horresco referens, one's heart failing one, obstupui steteruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit, a dagger of the mind, expertus metuit, fain would I climb but that I fear to fall, fear is the parent of cruelty, Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire, omnia tuta timens, our fears do make us traitors.For further exploring for "terrible" in Webster Dictionary Online