noun
horror
HOR-uh
noun
1
A strong feeling of fear, shock, or disgust.
"She stared in horror as the car skidded off the road."
"He watched the news with a growing sense of horror."
2
Something that causes this feeling.
"The horrors of war left the soldiers deeply scarred."
"The documentary revealed the horrors of the factory conditions."
3
A genre of fiction or film built around fear and suspense.
"He loves horror movies, the scarier the better."
"The bookshop has a whole shelf dedicated to horror."
How to Use Horror
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA feeling of intense fear or disgust, or something that causes it — also a genre of scary books and films.
Common pairings
horror movie
horror story
in horror
the horrors of war
Word Forms
horrors plural
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Etymology
From Old French horror, going back to Latin horrere, "to bristle or shudder" — the same idea as hair standing on end from fear.