terrible English · revision 3835

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1387|origins=la terreō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈter.ə.bᵊl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|terrible]],^(MWU 2024) [[bor|fro|terrible]] and directly [[der|la|terribilis|t=frightful]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[m|la|terrēre|t=to fill with fear, frighten]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from [[ine-pro|*tros-|t=to make afraid]],^(Etymonline) the root also of Sanskrit trasanti “they tremble” and Old Church Slavonic tresǫ “I shake”.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[terror]], [[terrify]] and [[deter]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Causing terror, frightful: before 1387, in Trevisa's translation of Higden's ''Polychronicon'',^(Barnhart 1988) about 1400 in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and about 1430 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It was also used of the sources of feelings akin to dread, “violently severe”, from the 1590s,^(Etymonline) with Barnhart dating the general “very bad, awful” to 1596.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) By the 18th century it had weakened to a mere intensive, “great, severe”, as in ''a terrible bore'', like [[awful]] and [[terrific]].^(Etymonline) It was often used of misbehaving children, then of adults,^(Etymonline) of a person behaving outrageously from 1859,^(OED 1989) and ''the terrible twos'' is from 1949.^(Etymonline) “Very bad, extremely incompetent” is colloquial from 1913 in Etymonline^(Etymonline) and 1925 in the OED.^(OED 1989) The adverb [[terribly]] is from 1526, and its informal sense “extremely” from 1833, in Dickens's letters.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1387 – causing terror.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1526 – ''terribly''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1596 – very bad, severe.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 18th century – an intensive.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1859 – of an outrageous person.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1913 – very bad, incompetent.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1949 – ''terrible twos''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Causing great fear; [[dreadful]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Extremely formidable.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Extreme in degree: ''a terrible mess''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Very bad; unpleasant or of poor quality.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Feeling ill or unhappy: ''I feel terrible''.^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[terribleness]]

+ * [[terribly]]

+ * [[unterrible]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[terrific]]

+ * [[terrify]]

+ * [[terrifying]]

+ * [[terror]]

+ * [[terrorist]]

+ * [[terrorize]]

+ * [[deter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}