terrible
gb/tˈɛɹɪbəl/ us/tˈɛɹɪbəl/
A2
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Very bad or unpleasant
Very bad in quality or making you feel unhappy or uncomfortable.
Usage pattern:
[something] is terrible
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'terrible' with 'terrific' because they look similar, but 'terrific' usually means 'very good'.
Synonyms
awful (Similar in meaning, but can sound slightly less formal.)
|
dreadful (Similar meaning, often used for emphasis in British English.)
Antonyms
excellent (Represents the opposite extreme of quality or satisfaction.)
|
wonderful (Indicates something extremely good or pleasing, the opposite of terrible.)
Collocations
terrible mistake
|terrible accident
|terrible weather
|terrible service
|feel terrible
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|daily_life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The food at that restaurant was terrible.
- I had a terrible headache all day.
- The movie was terrible, and we left early.
- She made a terrible decision that cost the company a lot of money.
Learner examples
- The weather today is terrible.
- My exam was terrible.
- This coffee tastes terrible.
- He feels terrible after eating too much.
adjective
B1
property
2
Feeling very unwell or guilty
Feeling very sick or very bad about something you did.
Usage pattern:
feel terrible about [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'terrible' only for external things, forgetting it can also describe personal feelings.
Synonyms
awful (Often used similarly when describing personal feelings of guilt or illness.)
|
horrible (Can be used for emotional states, especially guilt or regret.)
Antonyms
fine (Indicates feeling okay or not unwell, the opposite of feeling terrible.)
Collocations
feel terrible about
|look terrible
|feel terrible for
Themes
emotions
|health
Examples
- I feel terrible about forgetting her birthday.
- He looked terrible after staying up all night.
- She felt terrible for lying to her friend.
Learner examples
- I feel terrible today.
- He looks terrible after the trip.
- She feels terrible about her mistake.
adjective
B2
property
3
Causing fear or dread
Making people feel very afraid or worried.
Usage pattern:
a terrible [event/situation]
Synonyms
frightening (Focuses on causing fear rather than being bad in quality.)
|
horrific (Emphasizes the shocking and disturbing nature of something.)
Antonyms
comforting (Gives reassurance rather than causing fear.)
Collocations
terrible war
|terrible crime
|terrible disaster
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They survived a terrible earthquake.
- It was a terrible battle with many casualties.
- The refugees fled from a terrible war.
Learner examples
- A terrible storm hit the city.
- There was a terrible fire in the building.
- The country had a terrible war.
Grammar
Dictionary form
terrible
IPA
GB/tˈɛɹɪbəl/
US/tˈɛɹɪbəl/
Syllables & stress
ter - rible (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ter)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: terrible
Word family
Expressions
a terrible shame
1/ə tˈɛɹɪbəl ʃˈeɪm/
fixed phrase
A very unfortunate situation
A very sad or bad thing that has happened.
Examples
- It's a terrible shame they had to cancel the concert.
- What happened to them is a terrible shame.
feel terrible about
1/fˈil tˈɛɹɪbəl əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
To feel guilty or regretful about something
To feel very bad because you think you did something wrong.
Examples
- I feel terrible about missing your party.
- She felt terrible about yelling at her brother.
in a terrible state
1/ˈɪn ə tˈɛɹɪbəl stˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
In very poor condition or distress
In very bad physical condition or feeling very upset.
Examples
- The house was in a terrible state after the storm.
- He was in a terrible state after hearing the news.