Difference Between Horrible and Terrible

The main difference between horrible and terrible is that horrible describes something shocking or something likely to cause horror while terrible describes something extremely bad or serious.

We use both adjectives horrible and terrible to describe negative and unpleasant experiences in life. Horrible originates from the noun horror while terrible originates from the noun terror. When we compare these two adjectives, horrible seems to be more intense and describes more negative experiences.

Key Areas Covered

1. What Does Horrible Mean
     – Definition, Meaning, Examples
2. What Does Terrible Mean
     – Definition, Meaning, Examples
3. What are the Similarities Between Horrible and Terrible
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Horrible and Terrible
      – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Horror, Horrible, Terrible, Terror

Horrible – Definition, Meaning, Examples

Horrible is an adjective that originates from the noun horror, which refers to painful and intense fear, intense repulsion, and dread or dismay. Therefore, horrific describes something that is likely to cause horror in people—for instance, a horrible accident, a horrible war, etc. You can also use this adjective to describe a very unpleasant experience. Let’s look at some example sentences to understand how this adjective is used in real life.

Example Sentence 1: The crime scene was horrible to describe.

It was a horrible disease that killed thousands of people in the world.

He saw that the children he killed had come back to take revenge in a horrible way. 

It was not easy to forget the horrible war that left the country crippled. 

I saw a horrible accident on the highway.

It was a horrible experience to see her lying in a pool of blood.

Terrible – Definition, Meaning, Examples

Terrible is an adjective that originates from the noun terror. Therefore, its original function was to describe anything that causes terror. However, this meaning is rarely used in the present context. At present, we use this adjective to describe something really bad. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines this adjective as “extremely bad: such as notably unattractive or objectionable, of very poor quality, strongly repulsive” while Lexico online dictionary defines it as “extremely or distressingly bad or serious”. We use this adjective to describe serious things like crimes, accidents as well as lighter subjects like movies and songs; for example, terrible crime, terrible smell, terrible movie, etc. Let’s now look at some example sentences to understand the meaning and usage of this adjective.

Example Sentence 2: What’s that terrible smell?

We all anonymously agreed that it was a terrible movie.

How can you go out in this terrible weather?

You are terrible at managing money.

She has terrible handwriting, so I don’t know think anyone can read this.

Jacinda lost her whole family in a terrible accident.

I haven’t slept for two nights and feel terrible.

Similarities Between Horrible and Terrible

• We use both these adjectives horrible and terrible to describe negative and unpleasant experiences in life.
• Moreover, they are often used interchangeably, as synonyms.

Difference Between Horrible and Terrible

Definition

Horrible describes something shocking or something likely to cause horror while terrible describes something extremely bad or serious.

Noun Form

Horrible originates from the noun horror while terrible originates from the noun terror.

Intensity

The adjective horrible is often more intense than the adjective terrible. Horrible can describe something that arouses painful and intense fear, intense repulsion, and dread or dismay, while terrible merely describes something really bad.

Conclusion

The main difference between horrible and terrible is that horrible describes something shocking or something likely to cause horror while terrible describes something extremely bad or serious. When we compare these two adjectives, horrible seems to be more intense and describes a more negative experience.

Image Courtesy:

1. “850054” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Woman in Gray Jacket Covering Her Nose” (CC0) via Pexels