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
The rhetoric pushed here is that someone with a high body count has less value and will either make a terrible partner or no one will want them in the first place.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.
—Jordan Brenner, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
More to the point, simply pausing enforcement (for six months, the administration says) puts American businesses in a terrible position.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrible. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Kids 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
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