What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Abysmal vs Horrid - What's the difference?

abysmal | horrid |

As adjectives the difference between abysmal and horrid

is that abysmal is (now|rare) pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; unending; profound; fathomless; immeasurable while horrid is (archaic) bristling, rough, rugged.

abysmal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (now, rare) Pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; unending; profound; fathomless; immeasurable.
  • * Carlyle
    • Geology gives one the same abysmal extent of time that astronomy does of space.
  • (figurative, colloquial) Bottomless; extremely bad.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012
    • , date=June 9 , author=Owen Phillips , title=Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Robben curled an effort against the foot of the post from the edge of the box after being gifted the ball by an abysmal clearance from keeper Stephan Andersen.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "abysmal" is often applied: ignorance, record, performance, poverty, conditions, quality, perplexity, result, and failure.

    References

    External links

    * *

    horrid

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (archaic) bristling, rough, rugged
    • His haughtie Helmet. horrid all with gold,//Both glorious brightnesse and great terror bredd. - , The Faerie Queen , I-vii-31
    Horrid with fern, and intricate with thorn. -
    Ye grots and caverns shagg's with horrid thorn! - , Eloisa to Abelard , I-20
  • causing horror or dread
    • Give colour to my pale cheek with thy blood,//that we the horrider may seem to those//Which chance to find us. - Shakespeare, Cymbeline , IV-ii
    I myself will be//The priest, and boldly do those horrid rites//You shake to think on. - , Sea Voyage , V-iv
    Not in the legions Of horrid hell. - Shakespeare, Macbeth , IV-iii
    What say you then to fair Sir Percivale,//And of the horrid foulness that he wrought? - , Merlin and Vivien
  • offensive, disagreeable, abominable, execrable
    • 1668' My Lord Chief Justice Keeling hath laid the constable by the heels to answer it next Sessions: which is a '''horrid shame. - , ''Diary , October 23
    About the middle of November we began to work on our Ship's bottom, which we found very much eaten with the Worm: For this is a horrid place for Worms. - , Voyages , I-362
    Already I your tears survey,//Already hear the horrid things they say. - , The Rape of the Lock , IV-108

    Usage notes

    * "Horrid" and "horrible" originally had different meanings, but have become almost synonymous over the years.

    Synonyms

    * abominable * alarming * appalling * awful * dire * dreadful * frightful * harrowing * hideous * horrible * revolting * shocking * terrific

    References

    * *