terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl 
ˈte-rə-
1
: extremely bad: such as
a
: notably unattractive or objectionable
terrible behavior
b
: of very poor quality
a terrible movie
c
: strongly repulsive : obnoxious
a terrible smell
2
a
: difficult
in a terrible bind
b
: formidable in nature : awesome
a terrible responsibility
c
: exciting extreme alarm or intense fear : terrifying
terribleness
noun
Examples of terrible in a Sentence
Traffic was held up by a terrible accident.
I have a terrible cold.
The service at that restaurant is terrible.
Recent Examples on the Web
Since then, however, Wells Fargo has pulled back roughly 18%, as of the close on Monday, which continued a terrible recent stretch for the overall market due to economic uncertainty stemming from concern about the impact of President Donald Trump ‘s tariffs.
—
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Other adults in the room opt to avert their eyes as Jamie disrobes, but Eddie can’t turn away, out of a mix of protectiveness and horrified shock, in the same way that there’s no editor to protect the characters, the actors, or the audience from having to live in each terrible moment of the scene.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Traditional networks grant access just because a device is on the network, which is a terrible idea.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
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Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
Other adults in the room opt to avert their eyes as Jamie disrobes, but Eddie can’t turn away, out of a mix of protectiveness and horrified shock, in the same way that there’s no editor to protect the characters, the actors, or the audience from having to live in each terrible moment of the scene.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
Traditional networks grant access just because a device is on the network, which is a terrible idea.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrible
Cite this Entry
“Terrible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrible. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrible
adjective
ter·ri·ble
ˈter-ə-bəl
2
a
: very great in degree
made a terrible mess
a terrible cold
b
: very bad in quality
terrible music
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