# terrible

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/ · frequency rank #2,019

## Definitions
1. Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome
2. Formidable, powerful.
3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.
4. Very unpleasant; disagreeable.
5. Very bad; lousy.
6. Prone to a particular temptation.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *tres-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti
Proto-Italic *trozeō
Latin terreō
Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis
Proto-Italic *-ðlis
Latin -bilis
Latin terribilisbor.
Old French terriblebor.
Middle English terrible
English terrible
Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.

## Easily confused with
- **terribly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terrible-vs-terribly)

## Common misspellings (11)
`etrrible`, `terible`, `terirble`, `terrable`, `terrbile`, `terribble`, `terribel`, `terriblle`, `terrilbe`, `trerible`, `tterrible`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/terrible