horrendous

Definition

Extremely bad; awful; terrible.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin horrendus, future passive participle (gerundive) of horreō (“I dread”) + -ous.

Example Sentences

• "There was horrendous carnage at the scene of the plane crash."
• "My journey to work this morning was horrendous!"
• "But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea. Conditions were horrendous aboard most British naval vessels at the time. Scurvy and other diseases ran rampant, killing more seamen each year than all other causes combined, including combat."

Related Words