rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: horrere
Latin

horrere

bristle, stand on end, or shudder

Forms

  • horrere
  • horr- — Used before other endings.

Origin

An inherited Latin word associated with roughness or raised bristles.

Note

Hair standing on end provided a physical image for fear or revulsion.

4 / 5
Man recoils with disgust holding nose beside one plate of visibly spoiled moldy food, horrible unpleasant smell indicated by sparse wavering lines, no vomiting or injury, white background.
adjective

horrible

HOR-uh-bul/ˈhɔːrəbl/

Extremely bad or unpleasant.

Etymology
horrLatinbristle, stand on end, or shudder
+ibleLatinable or suitable to be

The root connects something dreadful with the body's response of bristling or shuddering in fear. The adjective also became an intensifier, allowing it to describe something very bad without literal terror.

Full entry

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