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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
had never experienced the horrors of war
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3
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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horror
There was also a third kind of language used to cloak the horrors of the famine: an accusatory rage against the British authorities who had failed to prevent it.
—
Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
The comedic horror film from indie filmmaker A24 debuted over the weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2025
Opus repurposes the aesthetic language of several contemporary horror films.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2025
The first half of the film (a rather short watch at around 80 minutes plus lots of credits) plays a bit muted on the horror, playing more like a psychological thriller focusing on Sam’s isolation and the paranoia of being back on Earth.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
The comedic horror film from indie filmmaker A24 debuted over the weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2025
Opus repurposes the aesthetic language of several contemporary horror films.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2025
The first half of the film (a rather short watch at around 80 minutes plus lots of credits) plays a bit muted on the horror, playing more like a psychological thriller focusing on Sam’s isolation and the paranoia of being back on Earth.
—Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror
Noun
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For Prince’s team, the damning press was a waking nightmare.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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As a quiet panic becomes obvious in Ryan’s eyes, the happy return begins to feel like a nightmare.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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With all pieces enclosed under a sturdy acrylic cover, there’s no mess or lost parts.—
Jacquelyn Smith,
Parents,
10 Mar. 2025
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After all, the door can be shut to disguise the mess.—
Shea Simmons,
People.com,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The country passed a law last month banning foreign political donations over fears about potential interference in this week’s vote.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Mar. 2025
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The bottom line: Before the latest wave of volatility and emergence of recession fears, America's most important corporate decision-makers were becoming more wary of the growth outlook.—
Neil Irwin,
Axios,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Take his infamous moment of chopping down his golf bag in disgust at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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Within the first half hour of a record-breaking 100-minute speech, Democratic lawmakers began to stream out of the chamber in disgust with Trump’s constant blaming of former President Joe Biden for all that came before.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Throughout Assad’s rule, the Alawite sect became increasingly linked, in the eyes of his opponents, to the atrocities committed by his regime during the Syrian civil war.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
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The new government should thus start by creating mechanisms to formally acknowledge the Assad regime’s atrocities and begin redressing them.—
PATRICK VINCK,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Just consider the agony of merging two or more sprawling thickets of technology.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
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The death of this beautiful 12 year old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.—
NPR,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Objects are often askew and out of frame, and everyday sounds like a toilet flush or blinds being pulled assume a low, staticky growl, as though frights fueled by childish imagination.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
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In a second Instagram Stories post, the singer offered another look at the cake, featuring a large bust of a clicker, the fungal zombie-esque frights from the Last of Us video game franchise and HBO series of the same name.—
Gil Macias,
People.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Qigong also was found helpful in treating arthritis, depression and anxiety, and hypertension in a May 2022 study published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research.—
Melanie Radzicki McManus,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
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One possibility is anxiety, which, according to Kaiser, feeds on avoidance.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
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