terrible

terrible — 形容詞

1. extremely disappointing, upsetting, or poor in quality, to the point that it mak

1.形容詞A2
釋義

糟糕的

品質極差或令人不愉快的

extremely disappointing, upsetting, or poor in quality, to the point that it makes you feel unhappy or annoyed.

例句

Maja had a terrible headache and stayed in bed all morning.

Maja 頭痛得很厲害，整個早上都躺在床上。

collocation: terrible headache / terrible pain

The weather was terrible during our trip to the coast last summer.

去年夏天我們去海邊玩的時候，天氣糟透了。

collocation: terrible weather

同義詞
  • awful

    equally common in everyday speech; slightly less formal

  • dreadful

    more formal or literary; suggests deeper emotional impact

  • horrible

    stronger sense of disgust or shock, not just low quality

反義詞
  • wonderful

    opposite in quality and emotional effect

  • excellent

    opposite when speaking about quality

文法句型

terrible + noun

be terrible

用法筆記

Both attributive (a terrible day) and predicative (the food was terrible) positions are equally common. This sense covers a wide range of situations: experiences, objects, feelings, weather, and results.

常見錯誤

❌This is a terrible good idea.
✅This is a terrible idea.
💡terrible is an adjective, not an adverb; use 'terribly' to modify other adjectives.

2. having almost no ability or skill in a particular activity, often because of a l

2.形容詞A2
釋義

差勁的

在某方面完全沒有能力的

having almost no ability or skill in a particular activity, often because of a lack of natural talent or practice.

例句

Gabriel is terrible at math and always asks his sister for help.

Gabriel 數學很差，總是要找姐姐幫忙。

pattern: be terrible at + noun

Heather is a terrible cook who burns almost everything she makes.

Heather 是個很糟的廚師，幾乎煮什麼燒什麼。

pattern: a terrible + performer noun

同義詞
  • hopeless

    stronger, suggests no chance of improvement; informal

  • useless

    informal and often blunt; same level of ability

  • incompetent

    formal; describes a general lack of skill rather than one activity

反義詞
  • skilled

    opposite in natural ability

  • talented

    opposite in having natural ability

文法句型

be terrible at + noun/gerund

a terrible + performer noun

用法筆記

Followed by 'at' + noun or gerund (terrible at sports / terrible at singing). Can also be placed before a noun describing a person's role: a terrible cook, a terrible driver, a terrible singer.

常見錯誤

❌I am terrible of playing piano.
✅I am terrible at playing piano.
💡use 'at', not 'of', to show lack of ability in an activity.

3. used before a noun to emphasise the great degree or serious nature of something,

3.形容詞B1
釋義

極度的

用來強調負面事物的程度之深

used before a noun to emphasise the great degree or serious nature of something, especially something negative or unwanted.

例句

Minh made a terrible mess when he tried to bake a cake.

Minh 試著烤蛋糕的時候，弄得一團亂。

collocation: a terrible mess

It is a terrible shame that the old library has to close.

那間老圖書館必須關閉，真是非常可惜。

collocation: a terrible shame

同義詞
  • enormous

    neutral register; emphasises size rather than badness

  • extreme

    neutral to formal; focuses on degree rather than negativity

  • huge

    informal; similar in register and function

反義詞

文法句型

a terrible + abstract noun

用法筆記

Only used before a noun (attributive position), never after a linking verb. Typically informal and conversational. Common with abstract nouns such as 'mess', 'shame', 'waste', 'mistake', and 'amount'.

4. producing a strong feeling of fear, dread, or horror, especially as a result of

4.形容詞B2
釋義

駭人的

引起恐懼或驚慌的

producing a strong feeling of fear, dread, or horror, especially as a result of something violent, dangerous, or shocking.

例句

The children saw a terrible sight after the storm hit the village.

暴風雨襲擊村莊之後，孩子們看到了一幅可怕的景象。

collocation: a terrible sight

Tendai's uncle woke up from a terrible dream and could not sleep again.

Tendai 的叔叔做了一場惡夢醒來，之後就睡不著了。

collocation: a terrible dream

同義詞
  • terrifying

    stronger and more active; suggests immediate fear

  • horrifying

    causing shock and disgust, not just fear

  • dreadful

    formal; combines fear with a sense of foreboding

反義詞

文法句型

a terrible + noun of perception

用法筆記

The original meaning of 'terrible', now less common in everyday conversation. More frequent in formal, literary, or dramatic contexts. Often paired with nouns of perception: sight, sound, noise, dream.