What does "horror" mean?
An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
Horror
/ˈhɒɹ.ə/ noun, slang
noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance.
- Grammar: horror is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: revulsion, abhorrence, abject fear, abomination.
- Useful contrasts: admiration, calm, comedy.
- Usage evidence: She screamed with horror as someone took hold of her arm.
How to use "horror"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "horror" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "horror" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "horror" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "horror" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "horror" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "revulsion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "horror", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An intense distressing emotion of fear or repugnance. countable, uncountable
"Their swarthy Hosts wou'd darken all our Plains, / Doubling the native Horror of the War, / And making Death more grim."
- 2 something that inspires horror; something horrible wordnet
- 3 Something horrible; that which excites horror. countable, uncountable
"I saw many horrors during the war."
- 4 intense aversion wordnet
- 5 Intense dislike or aversion; an abhorrence. countable, uncountable
"“Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it. […] ”"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 intense and profound fear wordnet
- 7 A genre of fiction designed to evoke a feeling of fear and suspense. uncountable
"Those who enjoy horror, stories overflowing with blood and black mystery, will be grateful to Richard Marsh for writing ‘The Beetle.’"
- 8 A genre of fiction designed to evoke a feeling of fear and suspense.; An individual work in this genre. countable
- 9 A nasty or ill-behaved person; a rascal or terror. colloquial, countable
"The neighbour's kids are a pack of little horrors!"
- 10 An intense anxiety or a nervous depression; often the horrors. countable, informal, uncountable
- 11 Delirium tremens. countable, in-plural, informal, uncountable
"`My belief is that he had the horrors without knowin' it.'"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"She screamed with horror as someone took hold of her arm."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "horror"?
Common synonyms include: revulsion, abhorrence, abject fear, abomination, affright, alarm.
How do you use "horror" in a sentence?
She screamed with horror as someone took hold of her arm.
How do you pronounce "horror"?
Pronounced /ˈhɒɹ.ə/.
Etymology
From Middle English horer, horrour, from Old French horror, from Latin horror (“a bristling, a shaking, trembling as with cold or fear, terror”), from horrere (“to bristle, shake, be terrified”). Displaced native Old English ōga.