terrible
Causing great distress
Terrible means causing terror or dread: a terrible accident, terrible news.
The word often softens to mean simply very bad or unpleasant: terrible weather, a terrible movie, I'm terrible at math.
In casual speech, terrible functions as an intensifier suggesting extremity without necessarily implying badness: a terrible shame, terrible beauty.
Someone who looks terrible appears unwell or exhausted.
Extremely bad quality
- appallingInspiring horror or disgust
- atrociousAppallingly, shockingly wicked
- abominableExtremely hateful or disgusting
- dreadfulCausing great fear or suffering
horrible · horrendous · ghastly · deplorable · lamentable · wretched · lousy · abysmal
Extremely unpleasant to see
- uglyDispleasing to look at
- grotesqueDistorted, bizarre figure
- gruesomeCausing horror and disgust
- repulsiveCausing strong disgust
ghastly · horrific · unsightly · monstrous · grisly · revolting · disfigured · nightmarish
Inspiring terror or alarm
- scaryCausing fright
- fearsomeCausing intense alarm
- dreadfulCausing great fear or suffering
- horrifyingCausing extreme fear
chilling · nightmarish · bloodcurdling · harrowing · spine-tingling · petrifying · alarming · menacing
Odiously, shockingly evil
- vileExtremely unpleasant or bad
- wickedEvil or slang-excellent
- evilProfound moral wickedness
- monstrousFrighteningly huge or wicked
nefarious · despicable · odious · reprehensible · loathsome · contemptible · abhorrent · unconscionable
Causing complete destruction
- devastatingCausing severe damage
- calamitousCausing great damage
- ruinousCausing severe destruction
- cataclysmicViolently destructive in scale
destructive · disastrous · tragic · fatal · lethal · deadly · ravaging · annihilating
Causing intense alarm
- mightyHaving great power
- powerfulHaving great strength
- imposingImpressively grand in scale
- dauntingDiscouraging through difficulty
awesome · overwhelming · commanding · formidable · fierce · ferocious · tremendous · intense
awful
Extremely bad quality
- appallingInspiring horror or disgust
- atrociousAppallingly, shockingly wicked
- abominableExtremely hateful or disgusting
dreadful · horrible · horrendous · ghastly · deplorable · lamentable · wretched · lousy · abysmal · dismal
hideous
Extremely unpleasant to see
repulsive · ghastly · horrific · unsightly · monstrous · grisly · revolting · disfigured · nightmarish · freakish
frightening
Inspiring terror or alarm
horrifying · chilling · nightmarish · bloodcurdling · harrowing · spine-tingling · petrifying · alarming · menacing · ominous
heinous
Odiously, shockingly evil
monstrous · nefarious · despicable · odious · reprehensible · loathsome · contemptible · abhorrent · unconscionable · villainous
catastrophic
Causing complete destruction
- devastatingCausing severe damage
- calamitousCausing great damage
- ruinousCausing severe destruction
cataclysmic · destructive · disastrous · tragic · fatal · lethal · deadly · ravaging · annihilating · crushing
fearsome
Causing intense alarm
daunting · awesome · overwhelming · commanding · formidable · fierce · ferocious · tremendous · intense · savage
- adjectivesbig, urgent, amazing, temporary, bold
- food qualitydelicious, tasty, bland, fresh, flavorful
- media descriptorsdramatic, thrilling, suspenseful, emotional, atmospheric
- Spanish adjectivesbueno, excelente, superior, inferior, magnifico
- inferiorinferior, substandard, second-rate, second-class, subpar
- negative adjectivesawful, bad, cruel, dumb, evil
terribleminor
Scale with lowered third
slight · negligible · trivial · mild · moderate
terribledelightful
Highly pleasing, wonderful
pleasant · lovely · wonderful · comforting · pleasing
- I feel terribleExpression of distress
- terrible twosChallenging toddler developmental stage
- something terribleA very bad thing
- terribly sorryEmphatic expression of regret
- Ivan the TerribleRussia's first tsar
- terrible lizard