horror

noun

ˈhȯr-ər How to pronounce horror (audio)
Definition of horrornext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness had never experienced the horrors of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mess
something unpleasant to look at are you really going to hang that horror on the wall?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horror Eggers and Depp are set to collaborate again, on Werwulf, another gothic horror film about a fearsome monster, which is expected to be released on Christmas Day, 2026. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Regardless of war, famine, genocide, and the horrors of this most brutal of ages. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 What encouraged you to take Alien back to its horror roots with Isolation? — Keith Langston, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026 More than two decades later, Quaid showed another side of himself in The Substance, the 2024 body-horror film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
  1. atrocity
  2. nightmare
  3. mess
  4. fear
  5. disgust
  6. awfulness
  7. agony
  8. fright
Noun
  • Emergency Lawyers, an independent group documenting atrocities in Sudan, said a drone targeted a group of civilians traveling Thursday in the desert town of Sowdari in North Korodofan state.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • These images laid the foundation and the ideology for every atrocity that has been committed against my people.
    — Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • Anaheim’s long nightmare is over, writes columnist Gustavo Arellano.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In outline, these are elegant Bond-villain machines for faceless, leaderless, pervasive espionage and assassination, the stuff of paranoid nightmares and stochastic violence.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Noun
  • The defense was organized and rebounded well from some early breakdowns on stretch running plays, and Petrino’s offense doesn’t look like the mess Freddie Kitchens’ group was last year.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In another drawing, a Cubist mess of igloos and sandcastles lay in a heap.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of mess
Noun
  • As families wait for news about their relatives, damaged roads, power outages and fears of further flooding have hampered rescue efforts.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The announcement is spurring fears of a fresh wave of Canadian travelers steering clear of the US.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • Vicki could barely hide her disgust that Luann’s antics get more respect than her insurance business.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Political radicals have found purchase in Democratic primaries in part because of disgust with our present system of capitalist greed, self-dealing and multi-card monte with all cards in the president du jour’s hands.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of disgust
Noun
  • In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of awfulness
Noun
  • Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony.
    — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The striking bronze sculpture depicts an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of agony
Noun
  • In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And some of the film’s most impressive frights take place in the dentist’s chair, veering into serious body-horror territory.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of fright

Browse Nearby Words

horrifying
horror
horrors
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All