different between terrorist vs terrible

English

Etymology

From French terroriste; synchronically terror +? -ist. First used by Edmund Burke.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?????st/

Noun

terrorist (plural terrorists)

1. A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
2. An agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.

Hyponyms

• lone wolfer

Translations

Adjective

terrorist (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to terrorism.
   • 2002 January 29, George Walker Bush, "2002 State of the Union Address".

Usage notes

The use of the label "terrorist" is often controversial or subjective, since one person's terrorist may be another's "freedom fighter", and vice versa depending on somebody's personal ideology or beliefs.A cynical definition may be that a terrorist is someone who murders or terrorizes more of those for whom the terrorist is fighting, than their supposed enemies.

Related terms

• terror
• terrorize
• terroristic
• terrorism
• ecoterrorist

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French terroriste.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?.r??r?st/
• Hyphenation: ter?ro?rist
• Rhymes: -?st

Noun

terrorist m (plural terroristen, diminutive terroristje n)

1. (derogaroty, see usage note) A terrorist.
2. (historical) A supporter of the French Reign of Terror.

Usage notes

Like English terrorist, use of this word is rather subjective.

Derived terms

• terroristisch

Related terms

• terroriseren
• terrorisme

Descendants

• ? Indonesian: teroris

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

terrorist m (definite singular terroristen, indefinite plural terrorister, definite plural terroristene)

1. terrorist (person who uses terror as a weapon in a political struggle)

Related terms

• terrorisme

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

terrorist m (definite singular terroristen, indefinite plural terroristar, definite plural terroristane)

1. terrorist (person who uses terror as a weapon in a political struggle)

Related terms

• terrorisme

Swedish

Etymology

terror +? -ist

Noun

terrorist c

1. terrorist

Declension

Related terms

• terrordåd
• terrorisera
• terrorism

See also

• självmordsbombare

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.