horrible

horrible
\ \ [14] The Latin verb horrēre was used for hair standing on end or bristling. A common cause of this phenomenon is of course fear, and so in due course horrēre came to mean ‘tremble, shake, be filled with fear and revulsion’. The latter sense has been carried through into English in the derivatives horrible, horrid [16], and horror [14]. (Horrid, incidentally, from Latin horridus, was originally used in English in the etymological sense ‘shaggy, hairy, bristling’ – ‘a rugged attire, hirsute head, horrid beard’, Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy 1621 – but this did not survive beyond the early 19th century.) The Old French descendant of horridus was ord ‘filthy’, from a derivative of which English gets ordure [14].
\ \ Cf.⇒ HORRID, HORROR, ORDURE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • horrible — [ ɔribl ] adj. • 1175; lat. horribilis 1 ♦ Qui fait horreur, remplit d horreur ou de dégoût. ⇒ abominable, affreux, atroce, effrayant, effroyable, épouvantable, hideux, horrifiant. Blessure horrible. Pousser des cris horribles. « L horrible… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • horrible — Horrible. adj. de tout genre. Qui fait horreur. Cela est horrible. il n y a rien de si horrible que la mort. une horrible cruauté. une horrible meschanceté. supplice horrible. monstre horrible. action horrible. laideur horrible. objet horrible.… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • horrible — adjetivo 1. (antepuesto / pospuesto) Que causa horror: Escuché un horrible grito que me heló la sangre. Me explicaba un accidente horrible que ha ocurrido enfrente de su casa. Sinónimo: horroroso. 2. (ser / estar; antepuesto / pospuesto)… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • Horrible — Hor ri*ble, a. [OE. horrible, orrible, OF. horrible, orrible, F. horrible, fr. L. horribilis, fr. horrere. See {Horror}.] Exciting, or tending to excite, horror or fear; dreadful; terrible; shocking; hideous; as, a horrible sight; a horrible… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • horrible — 1 Horrible, horrid, horrific, horrendous mean inspiring horror or abhorrence. Horrible (see also FEAR FUL 2) is the general term for what inspires horror {some . . . horrible form, which might deprive your sovereignty of reason Shak.} {wrongs and …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Horrible — LP de Suárez Publicación 23 de mayo de 1995 Grabación 1995 Género(s) Pop experimental rock alternativo indie rock …   Wikipedia Español

  • horrible — (adj.) c.1300, from O.Fr. horrible, orrible (12c.) horrible, repugnant, terrifying, from L. horribilis terrible, fearful, dreadful, from horrere to bristle with fear, shudder (see HORROR (Cf. horror)). Used as a mere intensifier from mid 15c …   Etymology dictionary

  • horrible — Horrible, Horribilis, Durus, Execrabilis. Horrible, ou cruel à voir, Triste, Horrendum. C est chose horrible et espouventable à ouyr, Nefandum auditu est …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • horrible — (Del lat. horribĭlis). 1. adj. Que causa horror. 2. coloq. Muy feo. 3. coloq. Muy intenso o acentuado. Nos dio un susto horrible. 4. coloq. Muy malo, pésimo. Nos dieron un café horrible …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • horrible — index contemptible, deplorable, diabolic, dire, disastrous, disgraceful, formidable, gross (flagrant) …   Law dictionary

  • horrible — ► ADJECTIVE 1) causing or likely to cause horror. 2) informal very unpleasant. DERIVATIVES horribly adverb …   English terms dictionary

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