Terrible

Terrible is an English adjective used to describe something that causes fear, dread, or awe, or something of extreme badness, severity, or harm. It can modify nouns or describe conditions, events, or actions, as in a terrible storm, a terrible mistake, or a terrible tragedy. The word often carries a strong emotional charge and can be used hyperbolically in casual speech.

Etymology and history: Terrible derives from Old French terrible, which comes from Latin terribilis, meaning “causing terror.” The root terrere means “to frighten.” The term entered English in the Middle Ages and has retained its core sense of something frightening or formidable, while also broadening to mean extremely poor in quality or performance.

Usage notes: Terrible is generally negative in connotation, signaling something undesirable or alarming. It is versatile, appearing in descriptions of natural events, accidents, opinions, or performances. The adverbial form is terribly, used to modify adjectives, adverbs, or verbs (e.g., terribly sad, run terribly fast). In everyday speech, terrible can function as a strong intensifier, though formal writing may favor alternatives like dreadful or awful depending on tone.

Notable uses: The epithet the Terrible is widely associated with Ivan IV of Russia, who reigned as the first tsar from 1547 to 1584. In English, he is known as Ivan the Terrible; in Russian, the epithet grozny is often translated as “formidable,” “dreadful,” or “terrible,” reflecting nuances beyond the English term.

See also: Terror, Formidable, Horrible, Dreadful, Adjectives of degree.