Horror is a feeling of great shock, fear, and worry caused by something extremely unpleasant.
I felt numb with horror.
As I watched in horror the boat began to power away from me.
Synonyms: terror, fear, alarm, panic More Synonyms of horror
2. singular noun
If you have a horror of something, you are afraid of it or dislike it very much.
...his horror of death. [+ of]
Synonyms: hatred, disgust, loathing, aversion More Synonyms of horror
3. singular noun
The horrorof something, especially something that hurts people, is its very great unpleasantness.
...the horror of this most bloody of civil wars. [+ of]
Synonyms: atrocity, awfulness, cruelty, outrage More Synonyms of horror
4. countable noun [usually plural]
You can refer to extremely unpleasant or frightening experiences as horrors.
Can you possibly imagine all the horrors we have undergone since I last wrote you?
5. countable noun
If you refer to someone or something as a horror, you mean that you think they are very unpleasant or ugly.
[informal]
I didn't want to listen. I was a horror. He did well to put up with me.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A horror film or story is intended to be very frightening.
...a psychological horror film.
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You can refer to an account of a very unpleasant experience or event as a horror story.
...a horror story about lost luggage while flying.
8.
See horror of horrors
More Synonyms of horror
horror in British English
(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 origin
C14: from Latin: a trembling with fear; compare hirsute
horror in American English
(ˈhɔrər; ˈhɑrər)
noun
1. Obsolete
a shuddering
2.
the strong feeling caused by something frightful or shocking; shuddering fear and disgust; terror and repugnance
3.
strong dislike or aversion; loathing
4.
the quality of causing horror
5.
something that causes horror
6. Informal
something very bad, ugly, disagreeable, etc.
adjective
7.
intended to cause horror
horror movies
Idioms:
the horrors
Word origin
ME horrour < OFr < L horror < horrere, to bristle: see horrid
COBUILD Collocations
horror
absolute horror
full horror
unimaginable horrors
Examples of 'horror' in a sentence
horror
Horror footage showed him writhing on the ground.
The Sun (2017)
Once, the cinema ran a week of the worst horror films they could find.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's a horror show that is only going to get worse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
EVERY passing week brings another horror story on our roads.
The Sun (2016)
THINK horror films are as scary as it gets?
The Sun (2016)
It stirs horror and fear.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Imagine his secret horror and panic, his lonely dread of being shamed before his parents, his friends.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The initial hilarity and horror become a story about Japan old and new, with the added peril of an approaching comet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is more than just a horror story.
Christianity Today (2000)
Celebrities reacted with horror to his death last night.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This catalogue of horror came from last week.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Three goals in four minutes was our very own inevitable horror show.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The horror of this experience is both physical and existential.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It is almost impossible to imagine the horror that once occurred here.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The giant scale of the impending cutbacks caused horror yesterday amid fears for public sector jobs.
The Sun (2010)
Not quite a horror film but not necessarily far off.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The first time was a real horror story.
The Sun (2016)
The previous year had been a horror show.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She said it like it was the name of a horror movie.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The horror of that experience puts my worst days as a lawyer into perspective.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Imagine the horror if he had been able physically to track them across town.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The eyes were filled with fear and horror.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
No horror film could match the scenes at the hospital.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Her actions are a legendary horror story.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Horror at the death of a Flemish worker does not chime with his detachment.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
My reaction was shock, horror and disgust.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This series has divided viewers but last week's horror made many see it in a new light.
The Sun (2015)
THIS supernatural horror is nonsense on toast.
The Sun (2009)
Quotations
Where there is no imagination there is no horrorSir Arthur Conan DoyleA Study in Scarlet
Death holds no horrors. It is simply the ultimate horror of lifeJean GiraudouxThe Enchanted
The horror! The horror!Joseph ConradHeart of Darkness
In other languages
horror
British English: horror /ˈhɒrə/ NOUN
Horror is a strong feeling of alarm caused by something extremely unpleasant.
I felt numb with horror.
American English: horror
Arabic: فَزَع
Brazilian Portuguese: horror
Chinese: 恐怖
Croatian: strava
Czech: hrůza
Danish: rædsel
Dutch: verschrikking
European Spanish: horror
Finnish: kauhu
French: horreur
German: Entsetzen
Greek: φρίκη
Italian: orrore
Japanese: 恐怖
Korean: 공포
Norwegian: redsel
Polish: przerażenie
European Portuguese: horror
Romanian: groază
Russian: ужас
Latin American Spanish: horror
Swedish: fasa
Thai: ความเลวร้ายมาก
Turkish: dehşet
Ukrainian: жах
Vietnamese: sự ghê rợn
All related terms of 'horror'
body horror
a horror film genre in which the main feature is the graphically depicted destruction or degeneration of a human body or bodies
full horror
The horror of something, especially something that hurts people, is its very great unpleasantness.
horror film
a film with a frightening storyline and atmosphere
horror genre
A genre is a particular type of literature , painting, music, film, or other art form which people consider as a class because it has special characteristics.
horror story
a story intended to frighten you
horror-struck
If you describe someone as horror-struck or horror-stricken , you mean that they feel very great horror at something that has happened .
horror writer
a writer of horror fiction or horror stories
shock-horror
A shock horror story is presented in a way that is intended to cause great shock or anger .
absolute horror
Horror is a feeling of great shock , fear , and worry caused by something extremely unpleasant .
horror-stricken
Horror-stricken means the same as → horror-struck .
horror of horrors
Horror of horrors is used to refer to something that you consider to be the worst part of a situation .
Chinese translation of 'horror'
horror
(ˈhɔrəʳ)
n(u)
(= alarm) 恐怖 (kǒngbù)
to have a horror of sth痛恨某事 (tònghèn mǒushì)
the horrors of war战(戰)争(爭)的恐怖 (zhànzhēng de kǒngbù)
1 (noun)
Definition
extreme fear or terror
I felt numb with horror.
Synonyms
terror
I shook with terror whenever I flew in an aeroplane.
fear
I shivered with fear as darkness fell.
alarm
The news was greeted with alarm by MPs.
panic
The earthquake has caused panic among the population.
dread
She thought with dread of the cold winters to come.
dismay
They reacted to the news with dismay.
awe
She gazed in awe at the great stones.
fright
To hide my fright I asked a question.
apprehension
It reflects real anger and apprehension about the future.
consternation
His decision caused consternation among his colleagues.
trepidation (formal)
It was with some trepidation that I viewed the prospect.
2 (noun)
Definition
intense hatred
his horror of snakes
Synonyms
hatred
He has been accused of stirring up hatred between nations.
disgust
A look of disgust came over his face.
loathing
She looked at him with loathing.
aversion
Many people have an aversion to insects.
revulsion
His voice was filled with revulsion.
antipathy
She'd often spoken of her antipathy towards London.
abomination
He had become an object of abomination.
abhorrence
They are anxious to show their abhorrence of racism.
repugnance
She felt a deep sense of repugnance.
odium (formal)
She has been exposed to public odium and scandal.
detestation
They were united in their detestation of the government.
Opposites
liking
,
love
,
delight
,
approval
,
attraction
,
affinity
3 (noun)
Definition
a thing or person causing fear, loathing, or distaste
the horror of this most bloody of civil wars
Synonyms
atrocity
Those who committed this atrocity should be punished.
awfulness
cruelty
outrage
The terrorists' latest outrage is a bomb attack on a busy station.
ghastliness
gruesomeness
frightfulness
savageness
4 (noun)
(informal)
They can be little horrors though, little children, can't they?
Synonyms
rascal
What's that old rascal been telling you?
terror (informal)
He was a little terror; always had been difficult to control.
devil
You cheeky little devil!
monkey
She's such a little monkey.
monster
I don't think I could be as patient as they are with that little monster!
perisher (British, informal)
scamp
Have some respect for me, you scamp!
holy terror (informal)
nointer (Australian, slang)
Quotations
Where there is no imagination there is no horror [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – A Study in Scarlet]Death holds no horrors. It is simply the ultimate horror of life [Jean Giraudoux – The Enchanted]The horror! The horror! [Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abhorrence
They are anxious to show their abhorrence of racism.