terrible

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛ.ɹə.bl̩/, /ˈtɛ.ɹɪ.bl̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: tearable, in some accents

Adjective

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

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

   The witch gave him a terrible curse.

2. Formidable, powerful.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     […] 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.

3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess‎^[1]:

     ‘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?

   He paid a terrible price for his life of drinking.

4. Unpleasant; disagreeable.
   • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 12, in The Mirror and the Lamp:

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

   The food was terrible, but it was free.

5. Very bad; lousy.
   • 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.

   Whatever he thinks, he is a terrible driver.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

Antonyms

• (very bad): excellent

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.

Related terms

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

 

Translations

dreadful; causing alarm or fear

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

  Mandarin: 可怕 (zh) (kěpà), 夠嗆／够呛 (zh) (gòuqiàng), 够呛 (zh) (gòuqiàng), 嚇人的／吓人的 (zh), 吓人的 (zh) (xiàrén de)

• Czech: hrozný (cs), strašný (cs)
• Danish: frygtelig
• Dutch: afschuwelijk (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)
• Greek: τρομερός (el) (tromerós), φοβερός (el) m (foverós), φρικτός (el) m (friktós)

  Ancient: φοβερός (phoberós), δεινός (deinós)

• Hebrew: נורא (he) m, איום (he) m
• Hindi: भयंकर (hi) (bhayaṅkar), भयानक (hi) (bhayānak)
• Hungarian: borzasztó (hu), rettenetes (hu), szörnyű (hu), borzalmas (hu), rettentő (hu)
• Icelandic: hræðileg
• Irish: uafásach
• Japanese: 恐ろしい (ja) (osoroshii), 酷い (ja) (hidoi)
• Kazakh: шошырлық (şoşyrlyq)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Korean: 끔찍한 (kkeumjjikhan) (attributive), 끔찍하다 (ko) (kkeumjjikhada) (predicative)
• Latin: terribilis
• Latvian: šausmīgs
• Macedonian: у́жасен (úžasen), стра́шен (strášen)
• Navajo: hóyééʼ
• Norwegian: fryktelig, forferdelig (no)
• Persian: وحشتناک (fa) (vahšatnâk)
• 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)
• 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)
• Turkish: korkunç (tr), dehşet (tr), feci (tr)
• Ukrainian: жахли́вий (žaxlývyj), стра́шний (strášnyj)
• Vietnamese: khủng khiếp (vi)
• Welsh: ofnadwy (cy)
• Yakut: ынырык (ınırık)
• Yiddish: שרעקלעך (shreklekh)

most formidable

• Arabic: مُرْعِب (murʕib)
• Armenian: ահեղ (hy) (aheġ)
• 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, hrozný (cs)
• Finnish: mahtava (fi), kauhistuttava (fi)
• French: terrible (fr) m or f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 極端な (ja) (kyokutan na)
• 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)
• 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)
• Armenian: ահավոր (hy) (ahavor)
• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 糟糕的

• 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: please add this translation if you can
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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
• 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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)

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

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Catalan

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

terrible m or f (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

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

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French

Etymology

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.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

     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

Related terms

• terreur
• terriblement
• terrifier

Further reading

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

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /teˈrible/ [t̪eˈri.β̞le]
• Hyphenation: 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, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014