horror
noun /ˈhɒrə(r)/
/ˈhɔːrər/
Idioms - [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 ExamplesTopics Feelingsb1- 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 spider 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- abject
- absolute
- pure
- …
- feel
- have
- fill somebody with
- …
- film
- movie
- story
- …
- in horror
- to your horror
- with horror
- …
- a look of horror
- [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
- …
- commit
- inflict
- perpetrate
- …
- [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 refugee camps.
- The horror of the situation overwhelmed him completely.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- full
- real
- true
- …
- commit
- inflict
- perpetrate
- …
- [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 pubs.
- I'm trying to overcome my horror of insects.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- abject
- absolute
- pure
- …
- feel
- have
- fill somebody with
- …
- film
- movie
- story
- …
- in horror
- to your horror
- with horror
- …
- a look of horror
- [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
- [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!)
- (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
- (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!