horror story

noun

: an account of an unsettling or unfortunate occurrence
heard horror stories about recent layoffs
also : something unsettling or unfortunate
his childhood was a horror story

Examples of horror story in a Sentence

We've all heard horror stories about airlines losing people's luggage. Her childhood was a horror story.
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.
And it was never intended to be anything but a horror story, an adventure yarn, a buddy movie, an entertainment. Hans Walters, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025 And online horror stories, such as one family’s Roomba in Little Rock, Arkansas, running over and tracking dog poop throughout their entire household, validated my mistrust. David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025 In his job as an attorney for indigent parents at Hennepin County Adult Representation Services, Scotty Ducharme has dealt with horror stories and seen cases of extreme child abuse up close. Jessica Lussenhop, ProPublica, 30 June 2025 For decades, his horror stories – on the page and on the screen – have scared the bejeezus out of generations of people. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for horror story

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of horror story was in 1937

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horror story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror%20story. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

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