Origin: Latin suffix -ible
Horrible has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.
"The thought of losing his family in the fire was a horrible prospect that kept him awake all night."
In plain English: Horrible is not used as a noun because it describes something bad instead of naming an object or person.
"The horrible he told me his secret plans, which turned out to be true."
Usage: Use the noun form of horrible only in formal or literary contexts when referring specifically to a source of terror rather than something simply unpleasant. In everyday speech, reserve this word for its adjective meaning and choose synonyms like "horror" or "nightmare" if you need a common noun describing a bad situation.
provoking horror
"an atrocious automobile accident"
"a frightful crime of decapitation"
"an alarming, even horrifying, picture"
"war is beyond all words horrible"
"an ugly wound"
Causing horror; terrible; shocking.
"The gruesome details of the crime scene made for a horrible story that left everyone in shock."
In plain English: Horrible means something that is extremely bad, unpleasant, or scary to deal with.
"The weather was horrible yesterday, so we decided to stay inside and watch movies."
The word "horrible" entered Middle English around 1303 from the Old French horrible, which itself came from the Latin horrere. Originally, it meant something that caused one to tremble or shiver.