horror

UK: /ˈhɒrə^r/ US: /ˈhɔrɚ, ˈhɑr-/ ,(hôr′ər, hor′-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

hor•ror /ˈhɔrɚ, ˈhɑr-/   n. 

1. [uncountable] overwhelming distress caused by something shocking, terrifying, or revolting.
2. anything that causes such a feeling:
   [countable] the horrors of trench warfare.
3. a strong fear or dislike of something:
   [countable] a horror of firearms.
4. Informal Terms something that inspires revulsion:
   [countable] That wallpaper is a horror.

adj. [before a noun]

5. inspiring horror:
   a horror movie.

interj. 

6. horrors, This word is used to express mild dismay, surprise, disappointment, etc.:
   Horrors! Back again, eh?

See -horr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hor•ror  (hôr′ər, hor′-), n. 

1. an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting;
   a shuddering fear:
   to shrink back from a mutilated corpse in horror.
2. anything that causes such a feeling:
   killing, looting, and other horrors of war.
3. such a feeling as a quality or condition:
   to have known the horror of slow starvation.
4. a strong aversion;
   abhorrence:
   to have a horror of emotional outbursts.
5. Informal Terms something considered bad or tasteless:
   That wallpaper is a horror. The party was a horror.
6. Informal Terms horrors:
   • See delirium tremens. 
   • extreme depression.

adj. 

7. inspiring or creating horror, loathing, aversion, etc.:
   The hostages told horror stories of their year in captivity.
8. centered upon or depicting terrifying or macabre events:
   a horror movie.

interj. 

9. horrors, (used as a mild expression of dismay, surprise, disappointment, etc.)

• Latin horrōr-, stem of horror
• Anglo-French
• Latin horror, equivalent. to horr- (stem of horrēre to bristle with fear; see horrendous) + -or -or¹; replacing Middle English orrour
• 1520–30

Synonyms

• 1. dread, dismay, consternation. See terror. 
• 4. loathing, antipathy, detestation, hatred, abomination.

Antonyms

• 1. serenity.
• 4. attraction.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

horror / ˈhɒrə/ noun

1. extreme fear; terror; dread
2. intense loathing; hatred
3. (often plural) a thing or person causing fear, loathing, etc
4. (modifier) having a frightening subject, esp a supernatural one: a horror film

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin: a trembling with fear; compare hirsute