English Dictionary

Definition of “horrid

horrid (ˈhɒrɪdPronunciation for horrid

Definitions

adjective

  1. disagreeable; unpleasant  ⇒ a horrid meal 
  2. repulsive or frightening
  3. informal unkind

Alternative Forms

ˈhorridly adverb ˈhorridness noun

Word Origin

C16 (in the sense: bristling, shaggy): from Latin horridus  prickly, rough, from horrēre to bristle

Usage examples

  • They approached Qualary's house, the horrid pressure increasing with every step.
    Tepper, Sheri S., A Plague of Angels (1993)
  • By topping himself, he delivered poetic punishment to a world that had been so horrid to him.
    Spiked (2004)
  • Like Descartes, getting out in front of the pack by blaming its horrid first-quarter sales numbers on Iraq and SARS.
    Globe and Mail (2003)
  • I suddenly realised that something horrid had stung me in the nether regions.
    Times, Sunday Times (2002)
  • We took him and Suzy out to supper in a restaurant and Johnny was horrid to him.
    Penny Junor, HOME TRUTHS: Life Around My Father (2002)

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