terrible

English

Etymology

From Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. Equivalent to terror +‎ -ible.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛɹəbəl/, /ˈtɛɹɪbəl/
• (US, dialectal, archaic) IPA^(key): /ˈtɝbəl/, /ˈtɛɚbəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Homophone: tearable (with /ə/ and merry-Mary merger)

Adjective

terrible (comparative terribler or more terrible, superlative terriblest or most terrible)

1. Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

   The witch laid a terrible curse on him.

   • 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:

     People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. For when they tried to look at Aslan's face they just caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn't look at him and went all trembly.

2. Formidable, powerful.
   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     […] and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog," and "real old salt," and such-like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.

   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 96:

     "He is the right sort of man for a labourer, but he is a terrible eater, to be sure," thought the farmer.

3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.

   He paid a terrible price for his life of drinking.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

     ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […] ? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?

4. Unpleasant; disagreeable.

   The food was terrible, but it was free.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     To Edward […] he was terrible, nerve-inflaming, poisonously asphyxiating. He sat rocking himself in the late Mr. Churchill's swing chair, smoking and twaddling.

5. Very bad; lousy.

   Whatever he thinks, he is a terrible driver.

   • 2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits”, in The Onion AV Club:

     The openly ridiculous plot has The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) scheming to win the Pirate Of The Year competition, even though he’s a terrible pirate, far outclassed by rivals voiced by Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “very bad”): excellent

Derived terms

• a mind is a terrible thing to waste
• something terrible
• terrible infant
• terrible twos
• terribly

 

Related terms

• terrific
• terrify
• terrifying
• terror
• terrorist
• terrorize

 

Translations

dreadful; causing alarm or fear

• Arabic: فَظِيع (faẓīʕ)
• Armenian: ահավոր (hy) (ahavor)
• Azerbaijani: qorxunc (az), dəhşətli (az), müdhiş (az), vahiməli
• Belarusian: жуда́сны (žudásny), стра́шны (strášny), жахлі́вы (žaxlívy)
• Bulgarian: ужа́сен (bg) (užásen), стра́шен (bg) (strášen), страхо́тен (bg) (strahóten)
• Catalan: terrible (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 詭異的／诡异的, 可怕的 (kěpà), 夠嗆／够呛 (zh) (gòuqiàng), 嚇人的／吓人的 (zh) (xiàrén de)

• Czech: hrozný (cs), strašný (cs)
• Danish: frygtelig
• Dutch: afschuwelijk (nl), verschrikkelijk (nl)
• Esperanto: terura
• Estonian: kohutav (et)
• Finnish: pelottava (fi), kamala (fi), kauhea (fi), hirveä (fi), hirvittävä (fi)
• French: terrible (fr), horrible (fr), épouvantable (fr)
• Georgian: საშინელი (sašineli), საზარელი (sazareli)
• German: schrecklich (de)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍃𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (agisleiks)
• Greek: τρομερός (el) (tromerós), φοβερός (el) m (foverós), φρικτός (el) m (friktós)

  Ancient: φοβερός (phoberós), δεινός (deinós), γοργός (gorgós)

• Hebrew: נורא (he) m, איום (he) m
• Higaonon: makuyaw
• Hindi: भयंकर (hi) (bhayaṅkar), भयानक (hi) (bhayānak)
• Hungarian: borzasztó (hu), rettenetes (hu), szörnyű (hu), borzalmas (hu), rettentő (hu)
• Icelandic: hræðilegur (is)
• Irish: uafásach
• Italian: terribile (it)
• Japanese: 恐ろしい (ja) (おそろしい, osoroshii), 酷い (ja) (ひどい, hidoi)
• Kazakh: шошырлық (şoşyrlyq)
• Korean: 끔찍하다 (ko) (kkeumjjikhada)
• Latin: terribilis, dīrus
• Latvian: šausmīgs
• Macedonian: ужасен (užasen), страшен (strašen)
• Navajo: hóyééʼ
• Norwegian: fryktelig, forferdelig (no)
• Persian: وحشتناک (fa) (vahšatnâk)
• Plautdietsch: schrakjlich, jräsich
• Polish: straszny (pl), straszliwy (pl), okropny (pl), przerażający (pl)
• Portuguese: terrível (pt)
• Romanian: groaznic (ro), teribil (ro) m
• Russian: ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj), стра́шный (ru) (strášnyj), жу́ткий (ru) (žútkij)
• Sanskrit: भीष्म (sa) (bhīṣma), घोर (sa) (ghora)
• Scots: bowkin
• Scottish Gaelic: sgriosail
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: у̏жа̄сан, стра́шан

  Roman: ȕžāsan (sh), strášan (sh)

• Slovak: hrozný, strašný
• Slovene: grozen (sl)
• Spanish: terrible (es)
• Swedish: fruktansvärd (sv), hemsk (sv)
• Tatar: имәнеч (imäneç)
• Tocharian B: empele
• Turkish: korkunç (tr), dehşet (tr), feci (tr)
• Ukrainian: жахли́вий (žaxlývyj), страшни́й (strašnýj)
• Vietnamese: khủng khiếp (vi)
• Welsh: ofnadwy (cy)
• Yakut: ынырык (ınırık)
• Yiddish: שרעקלעך (shreklekh)

most formidable

• Arabic: مُرْعِب (murʕib)
• Armenian: ահեղ (hy) (aheġ)
• Azerbaijani: zəhmli
• Belarusian: гро́зны (hrózny)
• Bulgarian: страхо́тен (bg) (strahóten), страхови́т (bg) (strahovít)
• Catalan: terrible (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 厲害／厉害 (zh) (lìhài), 利害 (zh) (lìhài), 厉害 (zh) (lìhài), 利害 (zh) (lìhai), 猛烈 (zh) (měngliè)

• Czech: hrozivý (cs), hrozný (cs)
• Finnish: mahtava (fi), kauhistuttava (fi)
• French: terrible (fr) m or f
• Greek: τρομερός (el) m (tromerós), φοβερός (el) m (foverós), δεινός (el) m (deinós)
• Norwegian: fryktelig, forferdelig (no)
• Polish: groźny (pl)
• Portuguese: formidável (pt)
• Romanian: groaznic (ro)
• Russian: гро́зный (ru) (gróznyj)
• Slovak: hrozný
• Turkish: müthiş (tr)
• Ukrainian: грі́зний (hríznyj)
• Yakut: ынырык (ınırık)

intense; extreme in degree or extent

• Arabic: مُرْعِب (murʕib)
• Catalan: terrible (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: kamala (fi), kauhea (fi), hirveä (fi), hirvittävä (fi)
• French: terrible (fr) m or f, épouvantable (fr) m or f
• Greek: φρικτός (el) m (friktós), δεινός (el) m (deinós)

  Ancient: δεινός (deinós)

• Japanese: 極端な (ja) (kyokutan na)
• Malayalam: ഭയങ്കര (ml) (bhayaṅkara)
• Norwegian: fryktelig, forferdelig (no)
• Polish: straszny (pl) m
• Portuguese: terrível (pt)
• Romanian: groaznic (ro), impresionant (ro) m
• Russian: ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj)
• Tagalog: matindi
• Turkish: korkunç (tr), fahiş (tr), feci (tr)

unpleasant

• Arabic: فَظِيع (faẓīʕ), أَرْبَد (ʔarbad)
• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: kamala (fi), kauhea (fi), hirveä (fi), hirvittävä (fi)
• French: épouvantable (fr) m or f, horrible (fr) m or f
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: furchtbar (de)
• Greek: απαίσιος (el) m (apaísios), φρικτός (el) m (friktós)
• Hungarian: szörnyű (hu), borzalmas (hu), borzasztó (hu)
• Norwegian: ubehagelig (no)
• Polish: okropny (pl) m
• Portuguese: terrível (pt), horrível (pt)
• Romanian: groaznic (ro), înspăimântător (ro) m
• Russian: ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: sgriosail
• Turkish: korkunç (tr), felaket (tr)

very bad

• Arabic: فَظِيع (faẓīʕ), أَرْبَد (ʔarbad)
• Armenian: ահավոր (hy) (ahavor)
• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 糟糕的, 太壞了／太坏了

• Esperanto: aĉa (eo)
• Finnish: kamala (fi), kauhea (fi), hirveä (fi), hirvittävä (fi)
• French: terrible (fr) m or f, épouvantable (fr) m or f
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: furchtbar (de), miserabel (de)
• Greek: απαίσιος (el) m (apaísios), φρικτός (el) m (friktós), κάκιστος (el) m (kákistos)
• Hebrew: נורא (he) m (norá), נוראי m (noraí), גרוע m (garúa)
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: rémes (hu), borzalmas (hu), szörnyű (hu)
• Japanese: 酷い (ja) (hidoi), 惨憺たる (ja) (santan taru)
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Malayalam: ദാരുണ (ml) (dāruṇa)
• Norwegian: fryktelig, forferdelig (no)
• Polish: okropny (pl) m, kiepski (pl) m
• Portuguese: terrível (pt), horrível (pt)
• Romanian: îngrozitor (ro) m, înspăimântător (ro) m
• Russian: ужа́сный (ru) (užásnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: sgriosail
• Swahili: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: แย่ (th) (yɛ̂ɛ), ไม่ดีเลย (mâi dee loie)
• Turkish: korkunç (tr), berbat (tr), feci (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} vreselijk (nl)
• French: ^{(please verify)} terrible (fr)
• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} भयानक (hi) (bhayānak), ^{(please verify)} डरावना (hi) (ḍarāvnā), ^{(please verify)} डरावनी (ḍarāvnī), ^{(please verify)} डरावने (ḍarāvne)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} terribile (it)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 무시무시한 (musimusihan)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} atrox
• Latvian: ^{(please verify)} šausmīgs, ^{(please verify)} briesmīgs
• Lithuanian: ^{(please verify)} baisus
• Marathi: ^{(please verify)} भयानक (bhayānak), ^{(please verify)} भीतीदायक (bhītīdāyak)
• Scottish Gaelic: ^{(please verify)} oillteil, ^{(please verify)} uabhasach, ^{(please verify)} grod
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} ȕžāsan (sh), ^{(please verify)} strášan (sh), ^{(please verify)} grȏzan (sh)
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} ужаснo, ^{(please verify)} užasno (sh)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} terrible (es)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} hemsk (sv) (1-5), ^{(please verify)} fruktansvärd (sv) (1-5), ^{(please verify)} avskyvärd (sv) (4)

Adverb

terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully.
   • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, Ware: Wordsworth Classics, published 1993, page 59:

     ‘Oh, terrible bad, sir, terrible deep the snow is,’ said the hedgehog.

Further reading

• “terrible”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “terrible”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• treblier

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin terribilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [təˈrib.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [teˈri.ble]

Adjective

terrible m or f (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

1. terrible (causing fear)
2. terrible (formidable, intense)

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /teˈrible/, [t̪eˈri.ble]

• IPA^(key): /teˈɾibli/, [t̪eˈɾi.bli] (Ternateño)
• Hyphenation: te‧rri‧ble

Adjective

terrible

1. terrible

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin terribilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛ.ʁibl/ ~ /te.ʁibl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. (all senses) terrible
   • 1837, Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche‎^{fr.Wikisource}, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter II:

     Mais à peine se vit-il en chemin qu’une pensée terrible l’assaillit, et telle, que peu s’en fallut qu’elle ne lui fît abandonner l’entreprise commencée.

     But scarcely did he see himself on the road when a terrible thought assaulted him, and such that little was missing to make him abandon the enterprise he had started.

2. (colloquial) great, excellent

Derived terms

• enfant terrible

Related terms

• terreur
• terriblement
• terrifier

Further reading

• “terrible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /teˈrible/ [t̪eˈri.β̞le]

• Audio (Peru):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ible
• Syllabification: te‧rri‧ble

Adjective

terrible m or f (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

1. terrible, awful, horrible (very bad)
2. appalling (shocking, causing consternation)
3. terrific (very great or intense)

   Los jóvenes de hoy en día están bajo estrés terrible.

   Today's young people are under terrific stress.

Derived terms

• terribilísimo
• terriblemente

 

Related terms

• terror

 

Further reading

• “terrible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy, 2023 November 28