horror show

noun

: something difficult to deal with or watch
the trial was a horror show

Examples of horror show in a Sentence

The trial has been a horror show.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From scene to scene, Revival might shift between a crime thriller about Dana taking on a vicious family of drug dealers, to a YA romance about Em falling in love with Rhodey, to a horror show about fighting off the deadly undead. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 Instead, it’s turned into a horror show, with various standards leaving consumers confused as to what the ports on their computer are actually capable of. Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 Last month, to rally support for a massive infusion of funding to fix the troubled U.S. air traffic control system, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy staged a public horror show of the Federal Aviation Administration’s outdated technology. Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 Part of the struggle is Dallas’ blue line, which was a bit of a horror show before Heiskanen’s return. The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for horror show

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horror show was circa 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horror show.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror%20show. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on horror show

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!