Words / A2

TER-uh-bl/ˈterəbl/

Terrible means very bad: terrible weather, a terrible mistake, feel terrible. Awful and dreadful are cousins. Terrific used to mean terrible, but now often means great — mix-up. Horrible is a close cousin. Do not write terrible when you mean terrific, or terrify as the verb.

Meaning

Very bad, or making you feel very afraid or upset.

Examples

• “The traffic was terrible, so we missed the start.”
• “The delay was terrible — four hours with no information.”
• “I feel terrible about losing your umbrella.”

Good to know

terrible weather / a terrible mistake. Cousins: awful, horrible. Mix-up: terrific (often “great”).

Near in meaning

awful

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