horrid
gb/hˈɔɹəd/ us/hˈɔɹəd/
B1
English
~ 4600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
Extremely unpleasant or disgusting
Very bad or unpleasant and making you feel upset or sick.
Usage pattern:
[something] is horrid
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'horrid' with 'horrific'. 'Horrific' often relates to things that cause shock or horror, while 'horrid' usually means simply unpleasant or nasty in everyday contexts.
Synonyms
terrible (A more general word for something very bad, can be less intense than 'horrid'.)
|
awful (Similar in strength but slightly more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
pleasant (Describes something enjoyable or agreeable, the opposite of causing disgust.)
Collocations
horrid smell
|horrid weather
|horrid taste
|horrid experience
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The milk had a horrid smell after being left out all night.
- She had a horrid headache that wouldn't go away.
- We had a horrid time waiting in the freezing rain.
Learner examples
- The food was horrid.
- I had a horrid day at school.
- The smell in the room was horrid.
adjective
literary
B2
property
2
Causing fear or horror
Making you feel great fear or shock.
Usage pattern:
[something] is horrid
Synonyms
horrifying (Emphasizes the shock and fear caused by something.)
Antonyms
comforting (Gives a feeling of safety and reassurance, opposite of fear-inducing.)
Collocations
horrid crime
|horrid scene
Themes
emotions
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The novel describes a horrid murder in vivid detail.
- They awoke to a horrid scene of destruction after the storm.
- It was a horrid sight that stayed in my mind for years.
Learner examples
- The movie showed a horrid accident.
- He told us a horrid story about the war.
- The book has a horrid scene in the middle.
Grammar
Dictionary form
horrid
IPA
GB/hˈɔɹəd/
US/hˈɔɹəd/
Syllables & stress
hor - rid (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hor)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: horrid
Word family
Expressions
horrid little [something]
1/hˈɔɹəd lˈɪtəl sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Small but very unpleasant thing/person
Used to talk about a small person or thing you strongly dislike.
Examples
- That horrid little dog barked all night.
- He's a horrid little man who enjoys gossiping.
what a horrid [something]
1/wˈʌt ə hˈɔɹəd sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Expression of strong dislike
Used to say that something is very bad or unpleasant.
Examples
- What a horrid day to forget my umbrella!
- What a horrid smell coming from the kitchen.