Terrible
/ˈtɛr.ə.bəl/noun
Causing or likely to cause great fear, dread, or suffering; extremely bad or severe.
Did you know?“Terrible” comes from the same ancient root as “terror” and “terrify,” tracing back to a Latin verb meaning “to frighten” or “make tremble,” so the word literally carries the physics of fear.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tres-
“to tremble, be frightened”
Latin
Latin
terrēre
“to frighten, alarm”
Latin
Latin
terribilis
“frightful, dreadful, causing fear”
Old French
Old French
terrible
“frightful, awful, terrifying”
Middle English
English
terrible
“causing dread or fear; dreadful”
Modern English
English
terrible
“causing great fear, suffering, or distress; very bad”