different between terrible vs serious
terrible
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)
- Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome
- 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.
- 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
- Intense; extreme in degree or extent.
- Unpleasant; disagreeable.
- Very bad; lousy.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:frightening
Antonyms
- (very bad): excellent
Adverb
terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible)
- (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)
- terrible (causing fear)
- terrible (formidable, intense)
French
Etymology
From Latin terribilis
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /t?.?ibl/
Adjective
terrible (plural terribles)
- (all senses) terrible
- (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)
- terrible, awful, horrible (very bad)
- appalling (shocking, causing consternation)
- 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.
terrible From the web:
- what terrible thing it was
- what terrible mean
- when terrible things happen
- when something terrible happens
- what is the terrible awful thing in the help
serious
English
Etymology
From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin s?ri?sus, an extension of Latin s?rius (“grave, earnest, serious”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). Cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English sw?r (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?s???.i.?s/, [?si??.i.?s]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?s??.?i.?s/
- Rhymes: -???i?s
- Homophones: cereous, Sirius (one pronunciation)
Adjective
serious (comparative more serious or seriouser, superlative most serious or seriousest)
- Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition
- It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious, laugh so heartily.
- Synonyms: earnest, solemn
- Important; weighty; not insignificant
- This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.
- Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving
- After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.
- He says he wants to buy the team, but is he serious?
- (of a relationship) Committed.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:serious
Antonyms
- (important, weighty): trifling, unimportant
- (intending what is said): jesting
Derived terms
- srs (abbreviation)
- dead serious
- seriously
- seriousness
- serious-minded
- serious-mindedly
- serious-mindedness
Translations
Adverb
serious (not comparable)
- (colloquial, dialect) In a serious manner; seriously.
Further reading
- serious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- serious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
serious From the web:
- what serious means
- what serious conditions cause bloating
- what serious conditions cause constipation
- what serious questions to ask a girl
- what serious questions to ask a guy
- what serious delinquency
- what serious diseases cause hives
- what does serious mean
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