terrible

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled turrible

US /ˈtɛrəbəl/ UK /ˈtɛɹ.ə.bəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #787

Meanings

1

adj
Very bad; of poor quality.

Whatever he thinks, he is a terrible driver.
2

adj
Very unpleasant or upsetting.

The food was terrible, but at least it was free.
3

adj
Very great in degree; severe.

He paid a terrible price for his years of drinking.
4

adj
Causing fear or dread; frightening.

The witch laid a terrible curse on him.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

4 adj · causing fear or dread;... awful

Opposites

excellent

Word family

Derived forms terribly

Related forms terrific terrify terrifying terror terrorist terrorize

Appears in

Phrases (2)

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Proverbs (2)

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Simplified etymology

Terrible comes from Latin terrere “to frighten” and originally meant “causing terror or awe.” Its weakened modern sense “very bad” began developing in the early 17th century.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin terribilisbor. Old French terriblebor. Middle English terrible English terrible Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“to frighten, terrify, alarm; to deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.

terrible Middle English terribilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# terrible

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɛrəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɛɹ.ə.bəl/
**Frequency rank:** 787

## Meanings
1. Very bad; of poor quality.
2. Very unpleasant or upsetting.
3. Very great in degree; severe.
4. Causing fear or dread; frightening.

## Examples
- Whatever he thinks, he is a terrible driver.
- The food was terrible, but at least it was free.
- He paid a terrible price for his years of drinking.
- The witch laid a terrible curse on him.

## Antonyms
- excellent

## Derived Forms
- terribly

## Related Forms
- terrific
- terrify
- terrifying
- terror
- terrorist
- terrorize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: terrible
- Root: terribilis
- Affix: -ible - able to be

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin terribilisbor. Old French terriblebor. Middle English terrible English terrible Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“to frighten, terrify, alarm; to deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.

## AI Etymology
Terrible is inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“to frighten, terrify, alarm; to deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible. In present-day use, it can mean very bad; of poor quality, or very unpleasant or upsetting. Derived formations include terribly.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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