terrible

== English == === Etymology === Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror +‎ -ible. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/, /ˈtɛɹɪbl̩/ (US, dialectal, archaic) IPA(key): /ˈtɝbəl/, /ˈtɛɚbəl/ Homophone: tearable (with /ə/ and merry-Mary merger) === Adjective === terrible (comparative terribler or more terrible, superlative terriblest or most terrible) Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome Formidable, powerful. Intense; extreme in degree or extent. Very unpleasant; disagreeable. Very bad; lousy. ==== Synonyms ==== See also Thesaurus:frightening ==== Antonyms ==== (antonym(s) of “very bad”): excellent ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adverb === terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible) (colloquial, dialect) In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully. === References === === Further reading === “terrible”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “terrible”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === treblier == Catalan == === Etymology === (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) Borrowed from Latin terribilis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [təˈrib.blə] IPA(key): (Valencia) [teˈri.ble] === Adjective === terrible m or f (masculine and feminine plural terribles) terrible (causing fear) terrible (formidable, intense) === Further reading === “terrible”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 == Chavacano == === Etymology === (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?) Inherited from Spanish terrible. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /teˈrible/, [t̪eˈri.ble] IPA(key): /teˈɾibli/, [t̪eˈɾi.bli] (Ternateño) Hyphenation: te‧rri‧ble === Adjective === terrible terrible == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Middle French terrible, inherited from Old French terrible (first attested ca. 1160), borrowed from Latin terribilis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tɛ.ʁibl/ ~ /te.ʁibl/ === Adjective === terrible (plural terribles) (all senses) terrible (colloquial) great, excellent ==== Derived terms ==== enfant terrible m ==== Related terms ==== terreur f terriblement terrifier ==== Descendants ==== → Romanian: teribil === Further reading === “terrible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Middle English == === Alternative forms === terribil, terrable, terable, terrabil === Etymology === Old French terrible. === Adjective === terrible terrible unendurable ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== English: terrible === References === “terrible, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. == Old French == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin terribilis (first attested ca. 1160). === Pronunciation === === Adjective === terrible m (oblique and nominative feminine singular terriblee) terrible === Noun === terrible oblique singular, m or f (oblique plural terribles, nominative singular terribles, nominative plural terrible) terrible ==== Descendants ==== Middle French: terrible French: terrible→ Romanian: teribil → Middle English: terrible English: terrible === References === “terrible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /teˈrible/ [t̪eˈri.β̞le] Rhymes: -ible Syllabification: te‧rri‧ble === Adjective === terrible m or f (masculine and feminine plural terribles) terrible, awful, horrible (very bad) appalling (shocking, causing consternation) terrific (very great or intense) ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Chavacano: terrible === Further reading === “terrible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025