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. Informal.,  horrors,

   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

And as a lifelong horror fan who speaks nostalgically of watching 1970s films such as “The Wicker Man,” “The Omen” and “The Exorcist” with his parents, Halloween Horror Nights is especially dear to Slash’s heart.

From Los Angeles Times

“She’s very interested in the genre of horror and uses certain elements of it in the film,” he notes.

From Los Angeles Times

"How is it possible that a month after my son's video was released, showing the horrors there, the government leaves him there? And the prime minister wants to conquer more territory? I can't understand that."

From BBC

"Seven years later, seven years of horror and hell... I think I'm having trouble realising how huge this is. I'm relieved," Arnould wrote in a social media post.

From BBC

The late 1960s and ‘70s delivered a host of classic horror films, from “Rosemary’s Baby” to “The Exorcist” to “The Stepford Wives” to “Alien.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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