terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl 
ˈte-rə-
1
: extremely bad: such as
a
: notably unattractive or objectionable
terrible behavior
b
: of very poor quality
a terrible movie
c
: strongly repulsive : obnoxious
a terrible smell
2
a
: difficult
in a terrible bind
b
: formidable in nature : awesome
a terrible responsibility
c
: exciting extreme alarm or intense fear : terrifying
terribleness
noun
Examples of terrible in a Sentence
Traffic was held up by a terrible accident.
I have a terrible cold.
The service at that restaurant is terrible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
—
Jack Dura,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
And obviously, slavery was a terrible thing, and that was horrible.
—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
—
CBS News,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
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.
Jack Dura,
Fortune,
2 July 2026
And obviously, slavery was a terrible thing, and that was horrible.
—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
—
CBS News,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrible. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl
2
a
: very great in degree
made a terrible mess
a terrible cold
b
: very bad in quality
terrible music
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
