horrendous

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "horrendous" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is extremely bad or unpleasant. Example: "The weather during our vacation was horrendous, making it difficult to enjoy our time outdoors."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Grant Shapps has a single word to describe the reality of the housing market in 2010 for millions of young people: "horrendous".

The Guardian - Business

What happened to these people has been largely forgotten, or denied, or ignored – except, of course, by the Armenians themselves, who have continued to pass on their horrendous stories of rape, death squads and forced conversions.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's been a horrendous year, everything that he said was right.

The Guardian

"I am helping right now to lead the effort about the trans-pacific partnership because I believe it continues a trend of horrendous trade policies which have cost us millions of decent paying jobs".

The Guardian

Jonathan's comments on Thursday echoed those earlier in the week of the US president, Barack Obama, who said the Chibok kidnappings "may be the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community to finally do something against this horrendous organisation that has perpetrated such a terrible crime".

The Guardian

Her grandson had been swallowed by the complicity and silence that surrounded so many of the regime's horrendous crimes.

The Guardian

The inferno, for all its horrendous destruction, has also provided an opportunity.

The Guardian - Arts

It's clearly horrendous for you: nothing that tastes this good can be remotely healthy.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Facebook Twitter Google plus Share Share this post Facebook Twitter Google plus close 2.36pm BST14:36 Preamble Good morning from Hyde Park, where sullen skies, September temperatures and horrendous delays on the Piccadilly Line haven't deterred thousands of people showing up to – hopefully – watch history in the making.

The Guardian - Sport

It's always for her, because it really is horrendous what she does to this second child.

The Guardian

It is a challenge to those who in the past week, after throat-clearing on the horrendous murder of Charlie's staff and their protectors, have attempted to switch the focus to the magazine's supposed Islamophobia.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "horrendous" to emphasize the extreme negative quality of something, reserving it for truly awful situations to maintain its impact.

Common error

Avoid using "horrendous" for situations that are only mildly negative; reserve it for truly awful or shocking circumstances to maintain its impact. Words such as 'unpleasant' or 'difficult' might be more suitable in less severe cases.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "horrendous" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to describe something as extremely bad, unpleasant, or shocking, as confirmed by Ludwig AI and its numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "horrendous" is a widely used adjective to describe something extremely bad or unpleasant. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and appears frequently in news and media contexts. While alternatives like "awful" or "terrible" exist, "horrendous" emphasizes a greater degree of negativity. When using "horrendous", ensure the context warrants such a strong term to maintain its impact and avoid overuse in mildly negative situations. The phrase is best suited for neutral to formal registers and should be reserved for truly awful circumstances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

awful

A more general term for something very bad or unpleasant.

terrible

Similar to "awful" but can also imply causing fear.

dreadful

Implies causing great fear or suffering.

atrocious

Indicates extreme wickedness or cruelty.

appalling

Suggests something that is shocking or horrifying.

shocking

Implies something that causes sudden surprise and distress.

ghastly

Implies something extremely unpleasant or frightful.

frightful

Describes something causing extreme fear or alarm.

heinous

Used to describe something utterly wicked or abominable.

outrageous

Describes something shockingly bad or excessive.

FAQs

How to use "horrendous" in a sentence?

"Horrendous" is used to describe something extremely bad or unpleasant. For instance, "The traffic was horrendous this morning", or "The human rights violations were simply horrendous".

What can I say instead of "horrendous"?

You can use alternatives like "awful", "terrible", or "dreadful" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "horrendous" or "horrific"?

Both "horrendous" and "horrific" are correct, but "horrendous" generally describes something extremely unpleasant, while "horrific" emphasizes the ability to cause horror or shock.

What's the difference between "horrendous" and "atrocious"?

"Horrendous" describes something extremely bad or unpleasant, while "atrocious" implies extreme wickedness, cruelty, or shockingly poor quality.