different between terrible vs intolerable

English

Etymology

From Middle English terrible, from Old French, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terre? (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?.??.bl?/, /?t?.??.bl?/
• Homophone: tearable, in some accents

Adjective

terrible (comparative terribler or more terrible, superlative terriblest or most terrible)

1. Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

2. 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.
3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.

4. Unpleasant; disagreeable.

5. Very bad; lousy.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

Antonyms

• (very bad): excellent

Adverb

terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• terrible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• terrible in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• treblier

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /t??ri.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /te?ri.ble/

Adjective

terrible (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

1. terrible (causing fear)
2. terrible (formidable, intense)

French

Etymology

From Latin terribilis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?.?ibl/

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. (all senses) terrible
2. (colloquial) great, excellent

Derived terms

• enfant terrible

Related terms

• terreur
• terriblement
• terrifier

Further reading

• “terrible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /te?rible/, [t?e?ri.??le]
• Hyphenation: te?rri?ble

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. terrible, awful, horrible (very bad)
2. appalling (shocking, causing consternation)
3. terrific (very great or intense)

Derived terms

• terribilísimo
• terriblemente

Related terms

• terror

Further reading

• “terrible” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Alternative forms

• untolerable (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French intolerable, from Latin intoler?bilis. Synchronically, in- +? tolerable.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?n?t?l???bl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n?t?l???bl?/
• Hyphenation: in?tol?er?able

Adjective

intolerable (comparative more intolerable, superlative most intolerable)

1. not tolerable; not capable of being borne or endured

   Synonyms: insufferable, insupportable, unbearable

2. extremely offensive or insulting.
   • 1971, William S. Burroughs, The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead, page 4

     It is an intolerable sound that sets spoons tinkling in saucers and windowpanes vibrating.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "intolerable" is often applied: cruelty, burden, situation, condition, pain, heat, position, life, state, suffering, evil, risk, insult, hardship, agony, behavior, affront, insolence, stress, consequence, people.

Derived terms

Translations

References

• intolerable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• intolerable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin intoler?bilis. Synchronically, in- +? tolerable.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /in.to.l???a.bl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /in.tu.l???a.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /in.to.le??a.ble/

Adjective

intolerable (masculine and feminine plural intolerables)

1. intolerable

   Synonym: insuportable

   Antonym: tolerable

Derived terms

• intolerablement

Related terms

• intolerabilitat

Further reading

• “intolerable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “intolerable” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “intolerable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “intolerable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin intoler?bilis. Synchronically, in- +? tolerable.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /intole??able/, [?n?.t?o.le??a.??le]

Adjective

intolerable (plural intolerables)

1. intolerable

   Synonym: insoportable

   Antonym: tolerable

Related terms

• intolerabilidad

Further reading

• “intolerable” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.