the horror of something
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe horror of somethingthe horror of somethingwhen a situation or event is very unpleasant or shocking Dense smoke surrounded them, adding to the horror of the situation. Only when the vehicle was lifted did the full horror of the accident become clear. → horrorExamples from the Corpusthe full horror• As the full horror of the explosion unfolded, the Halifax building society was reduced to a mound of rubble.• Finally the full horror of the deed is unveiled.• Members of the family are still reluctant to reveal the full horrors they endured in their homeland.