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Abominable vs Terrible - What's the difference?

abominable | terrible |

As adjectives the difference between abominable and terrible

is that abominable is worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable while terrible is dreadful; causing alarm and fear.

abominable

English

Alternative forms

* (obsolete) abhominable

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.
  • * But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable , and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. — Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
  • (obsolete) Excessive, large (used as an intensifier).
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (George Perkins Marsh)
  • Note:''''' (Juliana Berners) ... informs us that in her time (15th century), "' abomynable syght of monkes" was elegant English for "a large company of friars".
  • Very bad or inferior.
  • Disagreeable or unpleasant.
  • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "abominable" is often applied: man, woman, crime, act, deed, sin, vice, character, place, mystery, treatment, church.

    Derived terms

    * abominable snowman * abominableness * abominably

    References

    * * * ----

    terrible

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Dreadful; causing alarm and fear.
  • Formidable, powerful.
  • * 1883: (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Treasure Island)
  • and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog," and "real old salt," and such-like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
  • Intense; extreme in degree or extent.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=18 citation , passage=‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?}}
  • Unpleasant; disagreeable.
  • * , chapter=12
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=To Edward […] he was terrible , nerve-inflaming, poisonously asphyxiating. He sat rocking himself in the late Mr. Churchill's swing chair, smoking and twaddling.}}
  • Very bad; lousy.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 26, author=Tasha Robinson, work=The Onion AV Club
  • , title= Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits , passage=The openly ridiculous plot has The Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) scheming to win the Pirate Of The Year competition, even though he’s a terrible pirate, far outclassed by rivals voiced by Jeremy Piven and Salma Hayek.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also