Terrible in different languages

Terrible in Different Languages

Discover 'Terrible' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Terrible


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Afrikaans
verskriklik
Albanian
e tmerrshme
Amharic
አስፈሪ
Arabic
رهيب
Armenian
սարսափելի
Assamese
ভয়ানক
Aymara
phiru
Azerbaijani
dəhşətli
Bambara
jugu
Basque
ikaragarria
Belarusian
страшны
Bengali
ভয়ানক
Bhojpuri
डरावन
Bosnian
strašno
Bulgarian
ужасно
Catalan
terrible
Cebuano
makalilisang
Chinese (Simplified)
可怕
Chinese (Traditional)
可怕
Corsican
terribili
Croatian
strašno
Czech
hrozný
Danish
forfærdeligt
Dhivehi
ބިރުވެތި
Dogri
डरौना
Dutch
vreselijk
English
terrible
Esperanto
terura
Estonian
kohutav
Ewe
ɖi vᴐvɔ̃
Filipino (Tagalog)
kakila-kilabot
Finnish
kauhea
French
terrible
Frisian
freeslik
Galician
terrible
Georgian
საშინელი
German
furchtbar
Greek
τρομερός
Guarani
ivairasáva
Gujarati
ભયંકર
Haitian Creole
terib
Hausa
mummunan
Hawaiian
weliweli
Hebrew
נורא
Hindi
भयानक
Hmong
txaus ntshai kawg li
Hungarian
szörnyű
Icelandic
hræðilegt
Igbo
egwu
Ilocano
nakaal-alingget
Indonesian
mengerikan
Irish
uafásach
Italian
terribile
Japanese
ひどい
Javanese
elek tenan
Kannada
ಭಯಾನಕ
Kazakh
қорқынышты
Khmer
គួរឱ្យខ្លាច
Kinyarwanda
biteye ubwoba
Konkani
कश्टदायक
Korean
무서운
Krio
bad
Kurdish
tirsgiran
Kurdish (Sorani)
خراپ
Kyrgyz
коркунучтуу
Lao
ຂີ້ຮ້າຍ
Latin
horribilis
Latvian
briesmīgi
Lingala
ya mabe
Lithuanian
baisu
Luganda
kibi
Luxembourgish
schrecklech
Macedonian
страшно
Maithili
भयावह
Malagasy
mahatsiravina
Malay
dahsyat
Malayalam
ഭയങ്കര
Maltese
terribbli
Maori
whakamataku
Marathi
भयानक
Meiteilon (Manipuri)
ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯇꯕ
Mizo
chhe tak
Mongolian
аймшигтай
Myanmar (Burmese)
ကြောက်စရာကောင်းတဲ့
Nepali
भयानक
Norwegian
fryktelig
Nyanja (Chichewa)
zoopsa
Odia (Oriya)
ଭୟଙ୍କର
Oromo
badaa
Pashto
وحشتناکه
Persian
وحشتناک
Polish
straszny
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)
terrível
Punjabi
ਭਿਆਨਕ
Quechua
millay
Romanian
teribil
Russian
ужасный
Samoan
mataʻutia
Sanskrit
भयङ्करी
Scots Gaelic
uamhasach
Sepedi
mpe kudu
Serbian
страшно
Sesotho
e tshabehang
Shona
zvinotyisa
Sindhi
خوفناڪ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)
භයානකයි
Slovak
strašné
Slovenian
grozno
Somali
laga cabsado
Spanish
terrible
Sundanese
dahsyat
Swahili
ya kutisha
Swedish
fruktansvärd
Tagalog (Filipino)
grabe
Tajik
даҳшатнок
Tamil
பயங்கரமானது
Tatar
коточкыч
Telugu
భయంకరమైనది
Thai
แย่มาก
Tigrinya
ብጣዕሚ ሕማቅ
Tsonga
xo biha
Turkish
korkunç
Turkmen
aýylganç
Twi (Akan)
nyɛ koraa
Ukrainian
жахливий
Urdu
خوفناک
Uyghur
قورقۇنچلۇق
Uzbek
qo'rqinchli
Vietnamese
khủng khiếp
Welsh
ofnadwy
Xhosa
eyoyikekayo
Yiddish
שרעקלעך
Yoruba
ẹru
Zulu
kubi

Etymology & Notes

LanguageEtymology / Notes
AfrikaansThe word "verskriklik" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "verschrikkelijk", which originally meant "causing to be frightened".
AlbanianThe word "e tmerrshme" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*trem-/*trom-," meaning "tremble" or "shake," and is related to the English word "tremble". It also has the alternate meaning of "tremendous" or "extraordinary" in Albanian.
AmharicThe word "አስፈሪ" in Amharic can also mean "awesome" or "great", depending on the context.
ArabicIn Arabic, "رهيب" ("terrible") also alludes to the concept of awe-inspiring greatness.
ArmenianThe word "սարսափելի" in Armenian can have a more literal meaning of "causing trembling" or "terrifying".
Azerbaijani"Dəhşətli" comes from the Persian word "dahshat" which means "fear, terror, or horror."
Basque"Ikaragarria" is a word that also means "remarkable" or "extraordinary" in Basque.
BelarusianBelarusian "страшны" derives from PIE "*ḱers-“ (to cut, graze) and cognate with English "harsh" and "screech".
BengaliThe word "ভয়ানক" is derived from the Sanskrit word "भयानक" (bhayānaka), meaning "causing terror" or "fearsome."
BosnianThe word 'strašno' in Bosnian also means 'very' or 'extremely'.
Bulgarian"Ужасно" in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*ugrь" meaning "eel" or "snake" and is still occasionally used to describe "repulsive" people or things.
CatalanThe Catalan word "terrible" originates from the Latin "terribilis", meaning "inspiring fear or awe".
Chinese (Simplified)The term "可怕" (pronounced "kepa") can either mean "frightening" or "great, formidable, or respectable."
Chinese (Traditional)可怕 (kèpà) literally means "that which can cause fear," and is a broader term that can also refer to something awe-inspiring or amazing.
CorsicanIn Corsican, "terribili" can also mean "great" or "remarkable".
Croatian"Strašno" can also mean "very" or "very much" in Croatian, a meaning shared by the Russian word "страшно".
CzechThe Czech word "hrozný" originally meant "grape" and has only later extended to the meaning of "terrible, awful".
DanishThe word "forfærdeligt" is derived from the Old Norse word "forfærðr" meaning "destruction" or "ruin".
DutchThe word "vreselijk" is derived from the old Dutch word "vreeslijk", meaning "full of fear" or "dreadful".
EsperantoThe word "terura" comes from the Latin word "terra" meaning "earth" and was originally used to describe things that were awe-inspiring or earth-shattering.
EstonianThe Estonian word "kohutav" can also mean "awesome" or "fearsome".
FinnishThe Finnish word "kauhea" has been theorized to derive from the Finno-Ugric word "ka(u)h-, which means "constriction" or "something that frightens".
FrenchThe word "terrible" entered French from Latin in the 15th century and initially meant "causing terror or awe" instead of "very bad".
FrisianThe word 'freeslik' has a double meaning in the Frisian language, signifying both 'terrible' and the act of being 'very busy'.
Georgian'საშინელი' also has the meaning of "divine, marvelous, beautiful," in the sense of "awe-inspiring."
GermanThe original meaning of "furchtbar" is "full of fear" from the word "Furcht" (fear), but it has developed to mean "terrifying".
GreekThe word "τρομερός" in Greek originally meant "trembling" or "shaking" before it came to mean "terrible".
GujaratiThe Gujarati word "ભયંકર" (pronounced "bhayankar") not only means "terrible," but also has the connotation of "fearsome," "formidable," or "awesome" in the sense of awe-inspiring.
Haitian CreoleThe Haitian Creole word "terib" is derived from the French word "terrible," but it can also mean "extraordinary" or "very good.}
HausaThe word 'mummunan' in Hausa also means 'very' or 'greatly', and is derived from the word 'mummu', which means 'darkness' or 'secrecy'.
Hawaiian"Weliweli" also means "exceedingly large" in Hawaiian.
HebrewThe Hebrew word "נורא" can also mean "awesome," or "magnificent."
HindiThe Sanskrit root, "bhay," translates to "fear" and "terror," providing "bhayaanak" with a nuance of "inspiring terror."
HmongThe Chinese characters used to represent "txaus ntshai kawg li" (terrible) in Hmong can also mean "fierce animal" or "ferocious beast."
Hungarian"Szörnyű" originally meant "monstrous" or "freakish" in Hungarian, but it has taken on a more general meaning of "terrible" or "bad" over time.
IcelandicThe Icelandic word "hræðilegt" is derived from the Old Norse "hræða," meaning "to tremble or shiver," and is cognate with the English word "horror."
IgboEgwu, meaning "terrible," is related to the word "egwu," which means "play" or "dance," suggesting that "play" or "dance" can be both enjoyable and terrifying, depending on the situation.
IndonesianThe word "mengerikan" comes from the Old Javanese word "anger", meaning "fear", and the suffix "-kan", which indicates a passive or causative state.
IrishThe Irish word "uafásach" can also mean "hideous", "disgusting", or "horrible".
ItalianIn Italian, "terribile" has a wider range of meanings than in English, including "formidable", "awesome", and even "magnificent".
JapaneseThe word ひどい originates from classical Chinese and can also mean “cruel” or “unreasonable”.
Javanese"Elek tenan" can also mean "very good" when used sarcastically or in a teasing manner.
Kannada"Bhayankara" also means "fear-provoking" in Kannada
Kazakh"Қорқынышты" is a Kazakh word that originates from the Persian word "horkh" meaning "fear" or "dread".
KoreanThe word 무서운 literally means "something that causes goosebumps on the skin" or "causing the hairs to stand on end"
KurdishThe Kurdish word "tirsgiran" can also be used to describe something or someone who is disgusting or unpleasant.
LatinThe word "horribilis" could mean "bristling" or "standing on end" (of hair), as seen on the back of an angry animal, and later came to mean anything fearsome or terrible.
Latvian"Briesmīgi" also means "wonderfully" in archaic Latvian.
LithuanianThe word "baisu" can also mean "scary" or "frightening" and is related to the Lithuanian word "baisus" which means "terrible" or "horrible".
Luxembourgish"Schrecklech" also means "wonderful" or "great" in Luxembourgish, indicating the relativity of the concept of "terribleness."
MacedonianThe word "страшно" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "страхъ", meaning "fear" or "dread".
Malagasy"Mahatsiravina" in Malagasy has a literal meaning of "bad smell" or "stench".
MalayIn Malaysia, "dahsyat" means "terrible", but it also has the positive meaning of "awesome" or "great" in informal speech.
MalayalamThe word "ഭയങ്കര" in Malayalam also means "wonderful" or "awe-inspiring" depending on the context in which it is used.
Maltese"Terribbli" is of Latin origin, which derives from the Latin word "terribilis" meaning "fearful, awe-inspiring, causing alarm" and "terror," from *terrēre, "to frighten."
MaoriThe Maori word 'whakamataku' also has a different meaning, referring to a sense of fear or shame.
MarathiThe word 'भयानक' can also mean 'awesome' or 'wonderful' in Marathi, depending on the context.
MongolianThe Mongolian word "аймшигтай" ultimately derives from a Proto-Mongolic word meaning "unlucky" and can also mean "dangerous" or "risky".
NepaliThe word भयानक (bhayānaka) literally means "causing fear" in Sanskrit, and can also refer to something that is "awe-inspiring" or "magnificent".
NorwegianThe Norwegian _fryktelig_ derives from the Old Norse word ‘*fryktaðr*’ meaning 'afraid', likely influenced by the Middle Low German '*vruchtlik*', ‘terrible'.
Nyanja (Chichewa)The word "zoopsa" is also used to describe something that is very large or impressive.
PashtoThe word "وحشتناکه" in Pashto is derived from the Arabic word "وَحْشَةٌ" (wahshatun), which means "wildness" or "savagery."
PersianThe word "وحشتناک" originates from the Arabic word "وحش", meaning "wild beast", and its root meaning is "causing fear or terror".
PolishThe word "straszny" in Polish comes from the Proto-Slavic word "*strašьnъ" meaning "fearful, terrifying", and is related to the word "strach" meaning "fear".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)The Portuguese word "terrível" also means "awesome" or "magnificent", depending on the context.
RomanianIn Romanian, the word "teribil" can also mean "very" or "extremely", similar to the English usage of "terrific".
RussianThe word "ужасный" (terrible) comes from the Proto-Slavic word *ǫžastъ, meaning "horror" or "terror".
SamoanIn Tuvaluan, it also means "to be tired, sleepy, or reluctant to do something".
Scots GaelicThe Gaelic word "uamhasach" is cognate with the Irish word "uamach" which means "cavern".
SerbianThe Serbian word "страшно" (pronounced "strašno") can also mean "very" or "extremely".
Sesotho"E tshabehang" is a contraction of the words "e","tshabela" (to be afraid) and "hang" (very). "E tshabela hang" would mean "it is to be afraid very".
ShonaIn addition to meaning "terrible," "zvinotyisa" can also mean "awesome."
SindhiThe Sindhi word "خوفناڪ" can also mean "ugly" or "disgusting.
Sinhala (Sinhalese)The word 'භයානකයි' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भय' (bhaya), meaning 'fear' or 'dread'.
SlovakThe word "strašné" originally described something rough and unruly, which is still reflected in its literal meaning in several phrases.
SlovenianThe word 'grozno' in Slovenian comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'groza', which also means 'storm'. It can also be used colloquially to mean 'lots' or 'very'.
SpanishThe Spanish word "terrible" originally meant "causing fear or awe" and is related to the Latin word "terrere," meaning "to frighten."
SundaneseThe word "dahsyat" in Sundanese originally meant "great" or "magnificent" and only later acquired its negative connotation.
SwahiliThe word "ya kutisha" can also mean "to terrify" or "to cause fear" in Swahili.
SwedishThe word 'fruktansvärd' in Swedish literally translates to 'fruit inspiring' or 'inspiring fear' and can also refer to something that is 'formidable' or 'awesome'.
Tagalog (Filipino)The word "grabe" in Tagalog can also be used to express surprise, admiration, or even anger.
TajikIn some contexts, "даҳшатнок" can also refer to something amazing or astonishing, and it can be used in a positive sense.
TeluguThe word "భయంకరమైనది" in Telugu is also used to describe something that is awe-inspiring or astonishing.
Thai"แย่มาก" in Thai is also used to describe something that is "very good" or "excellent"
TurkishIt derives from Mongolian "khorkhom" "fear" but also means "wonderful" as in "korkunç güzel" or "awesome" as in "korkunç harika" and "superb" as in "korkunç nefis" in Turkish, unlike in English.
UkrainianIn Ukrainian, "жахливий" can also mean "astonishing" or "amazing", unlike its English cognate "terrible" which has only a negative connotation.
UrduThe Urdu word "خوفناک" is derived from the Persian word "خوف", meaning "fear", and can also mean "frightening" or "horrible".
UzbekThe word "qo'rqinchli" also means "impressive" or "awe-inspiring" in Uzbek.
Vietnamese"Khủng khiếp" derives from Chinese "空劫," meaning "great emptiness" or "nothingness".
Welsh"Ofnadwy" originates from the Proto-Celtic root "*ud-no-", meaning "terrible, fearful" or "causing fear".
XhosaThe word "eyoyikekayo" is also used to describe something that is very difficult or challenging.
Yiddish"שרעקלעך" is a Yiddish word that derives from the German "schrecklich" and can also mean "awesome" or "great".
Yoruba"Ẹru" can also mean "a ghost, specter, apparition, phantom."
Zulu"Kubi" also means "great" or "important".
English"Terrible" comes from the Latin "terribilis," meaning "causing great fear or respect."

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