Horror Noun - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation And Usage Notes

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Definition of horror noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

horror noun   /ˈhɒrə(r)/  /ˈhɔːrər/Idioms jump to other results

1.   [uncountable] a feeling of great shock or fear
   • The thought of being left alone filled her with horror.
   • in horror People watched in horror as the plane crashed to the ground.
   • with horror She realized with horror that somebody had broken into her house.
   • to somebody's horror To his horror, he realized that he couldn't escape (= it upset him very much).
   • horror at something He expressed his horror at the idea that he was in some way to blame.
   • She recoiled in horror at the sight of an enormous spider.
   • horror at doing something She revealed her horror at discovering the truth about her husband.
   Extra Examples
   • Her eyes were wide with horror.
   • With a look of horror, he asked if the doctor thought he had cancer.
   • Anna recoiled in horror as the huge dog approached.
   • He realized with absolute horror that he no longer had the money.
   • Imagine my horror when I discovered I'd be working for my ex-wife.
   • She felt horror and pity at seeing Marcus so ill.
   • She raised her hands in mock horror when she saw my new haircut.
   • The possibility of meeting him again filled me with horror.
   • The thought of working nights fills me with abject horror.
   • To his horror, he saw a dead body lying beside the road.
   • There was a terrible look of horror on his face.
   Topics Feelingsb1Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • abject
   • absolute
   • pure
   • …
   verb + horror
   • feel
   • have
   • fill somebody with
   • …
   horror + noun
   • film
   • movie
   • story
   • …
   preposition
   • in horror
   • to your horror
   • with horror
   • …
   phrases
   • a look of horror
   See full entry

   Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

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2.   [countable, usually plural] a very unpleasant or frightening experience
   • an account of the horrors inflicted on the detainees
   • The UN has been slow to condemn the horrors being perpetrated by the regime.
   • the horrors of something the horrors of war
   Extra Examples
   • They will never recover mentally from the horrors of that day.
   • We heard from refugees of the horrors being perpetrated in the region.
   • You wouldn't believe the horrors they have suffered due to famine and disease.
   • He had witnessed horrors committed by the enemy.
   • He never experienced the full horrors of trench warfare.
   • I used to regard public speaking as the ultimate horror.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • full
   • real
   • true
   • …
   verb + horror
   • commit
   • inflict
   • perpetrate
   • …
   See full entry
3.   [uncountable] the horror of something the very unpleasant nature of something, especially when it shocks or frightens you
   • The full horror of the accident was beginning to become clear.
   • In his dreams he relives the horror of the attack.
   • Our report will reveal the true horror of conditions in the camps.
   • The horror of the situation overwhelmed him completely.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • full
   • real
   • true
   • …
   verb + horror
   • commit
   • inflict
   • perpetrate
   • …
   See full entry
4. [singular] a strong feeling of fear or of hating something
   • horror of something a horror of deep water
   • horror of doing something Most people have a horror of speaking in public.
   Extra Examples
   • She had a horror of large crowds.
   • I'm trying to overcome my horror of insects.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
   • abject
   • absolute
   • pure
   • …
   verb + horror
   • feel
   • have
   • fill somebody with
   • …
   horror + noun
   • film
   • movie
   • story
   • …
   preposition
   • in horror
   • to your horror
   • with horror
   • …
   phrases
   • a look of horror
   See full entry
5.   [uncountable] a type of book, film, etc. that is designed to frighten people
   • In this section you'll find horror and science fiction.
   • fans of classic horror
   • a horror film/movie/story
   • the horror genre
   see also horror storyTopics Film and theatreb1
6. [countable] (British English, informal) a child who behaves badly
   • Her son is a little horror.
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin horror, from horrere ‘tremble, shudder, (of hair) stand on end’.

Idioms horror of horrors (also horrors!)

1. (humorous or ironic) used to emphasize how bad a situation is
   • I stood up to speak and—horror of horrors—realized I had left my notes behind.

shock horror

1. (British English, informal, often humorous) used when you pretend to be shocked by something that is not really very serious or surprising
   • The article reports on a celebrity who—shock horror—has gained weight!
   see also shock-horror

See horror in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee horror in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation: horror

Other results

All matches

• horror story noun
• horror-struck adjective
• shock-horror adjective
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• horror-stricken

Nearby words

• horrifying adjective
• horrifyingly adverb
• horror noun
• horror story noun
• horror-struck adjective

illustrate verb From the Word list OPAL written words Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day