horror story
Nightmare in print
A horror story is a narrative meant to frighten, featuring supernatural threats, violence, or psychological dread.
The term extends to any alarming account of misfortune: I've heard horror stories about that airline.
Someone relating a bad experience—a medical procedure, a renovation project—is telling their horror story.
Bestselling horror fiction writer
- LovecraftWeird fiction author
- slasherKnife-wielding horror villain
- psychologicalOf the mind
- thrillerSuspense-driven narrative genre
Edgar Allan Poe · pulp · weird fiction · creature feature · found footage · anthology · Goosebumps · true crime
Disturbingly strange
- creepyDisturbingly strange
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- ominousSuggesting something bad approaches
- shadowyObscured by darkness
foreboding · dark · gloomy · macabre · grotesque · gruesome · gory · chilling
Storyline or land parcel
- twistRotating motion or surprise
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- protagonistStory's central figure
- antagonistOne who opposes another
narrator · suspense · foreshadowing · tension · cliffhanger · backstory · prologue · epilogue
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- frightSudden intense fear
shock · creeps · chills · scream · blood-curdling · heart-pounding · spine-tingling · goosebumps
Apparition of the dead
- haunted houseDwelling believed spirit-inhabited
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- poltergeistDisruptive supernatural entity
- specterGhostly threatening presence
phantom · possession · exorcism · demon · curse · séance · paranormal · occult
Stephen King
Bestselling horror fiction writer
- LovecraftWeird fiction author
- slasherKnife-wielding horror villain
- psychologicalOf the mind
Edgar Allan Poe · thriller · pulp · weird fiction · creature feature · found footage · anthology · Goosebumps · true crime · paranormal romance
eerie
Disturbingly strange
- creepyDisturbingly strange
- sinisterThreateningly suggestive of harm
- ominousSuggesting something bad approaches
shadowy · foreboding · dark · gloomy · macabre · grotesque · gruesome · gory · chilling · unsettling
plot
Storyline or land parcel
- twistRotating motion or surprise
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- protagonistStory's central figure
antagonist · narrator · suspense · foreshadowing · tension · cliffhanger · backstory · prologue · epilogue · anthology
terror
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
fright · shock · creeps · chills · scream · blood-curdling · heart-pounding · spine-tingling · goosebumps · unease
ghost
Apparition of the dead
- haunted houseDwelling believed spirit-inhabited
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- poltergeistDisruptive supernatural entity
specter · phantom · possession · exorcism · demon · curse · séance · paranormal · occult · witchcraft
- storiestale, tales, myth, legend, fable
- talestale, tall tales, yarns, folk tale, fairy tale
- scary storiesspine-chiller, haunted tale, supernatural tale, poltergeist, banshee
- horrorterror, fear, dread, haunted, bloody
- thrillerssuspense, thriller, nail-biter, page-turner, cliffhanger
- game narrativenarrative, plot, storyline, dialogue tree, player choice
horror storycomedy
Work meant to amuse
romantic comedy · rom-com · light comedy · comedy of manners · farce
horror storyhappy ending
Story concludes well
success story · happily ever after · redemption story · love story · utopian fiction
horror storysuccess story
Narrative of achievement
dream come true · fairy tale · best-case scenario · smooth sailing · dream scenario
story, history, horror, horrible, stories, horrid, horrific, horrify, horrifying