1
as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
it's difficult to even begin to comprehend the horror of the Holocaust
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2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
had never experienced the horrors of war
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3
4
as in fear
the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger
imagine my horror at finding myself face to face with a lion on the loose
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5
as in disgust
a dislike so strong as to cause stomach upset or queasiness
cat lover or no, she regards cleaning the litter box with horror
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horror
No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 May 2025
Final Destination has nailed down a formula that other horror films should learn from.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Millions watched on television in horror on April 15, 2019, as plumes of fire shot up from the Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cathedrals.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
Like the slicker-wearing fisherman, the world of the 1997 slasher is coming back to life, with an all-new entry in the horror film franchise.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 May 2025
Final Destination has nailed down a formula that other horror films should learn from.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025
Millions watched on television in horror on April 15, 2019, as plumes of fire shot up from the Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cathedrals.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
Like the slicker-wearing fisherman, the world of the 1997 slasher is coming back to life, with an all-new entry in the horror film franchise.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
Noun
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Saving him and others is their work Pratt & Whitney union votes to approve new contract, end strike Private equity created a ‘nightmare’ in CT hospitals, staff say.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare.—
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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This daily upkeep keeps messes manageable and prevents them from accumulating to an overwhelming level.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 May 2025
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Watching people getting clobbered with mops, or Stitch making messes and starting fires at the open-air beach resort where Nani works — the funny’s diminished in live-action.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Some of this fear is rooted in social comparison, but much of it is tied to daily concerns about funding retirement accounts and covering child care costs.—
Eliza Brooke,
Vox,
23 May 2025
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The original policy sought to restrict ICE enforcement in sensitive locations, including courtrooms, to ensure that individuals could access vital services without fear of detention.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Noun
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His mood wavers between disgust and disdain, and his people skills were not improved by nearly dying in an ambush that left one policeman dead and Morck’s partner, Detective Sergeant Hardy (Jamie Sives), in a wheelchair.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
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In fact, research has found that some animal species may indeed use wit to strengthen their bonds in the same way that many have the capacity for love, fear, sorrow, guilt, anger, shame, disgust and empathy – and that primates smile and some rats can giggle.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Pakistan, which has a history of providing clandestine support to the Taliban, has blamed the latter for providing a safe haven to terrorists who commit atrocities on Pakistani soil.—
Hasan Ali,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 May 2025
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But fighting had broken out across Sudan, and reports of atrocities were filtering in from the countryside: mass rapes, mass executions, torture.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Noun
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At this point in the narrative, when Mike is sentenced to 14 months jail time, more conventional addiction dramas would dig into the trauma of incarceration and the agony of substance withdrawal.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
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One young man described the particular agony of being placed carelessly in a wheelchair and forced to sit for hours atop his testicles.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2025
Noun
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Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
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In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Giving into your kids to avoid your own feelings of stress and anxiety does more harm than good in the long run, says bestselling author and personal growth expert Mel Robbins.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
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Millennials courageously started talking openly about therapy, anxiety, and depression, breaking decades of stigma.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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