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ed or likely to excite terror, awe, or dread; dreadful; formidable. Prudent in peace, and terrible in war. Prior. Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. Deut. vii. 21.

admiral; also, the most considerable ship of a fleet. Like some mighty admiral, dark and terrible, bearing down upon his antagonist with all his canvas straining to the wind, and all his thunders roaring from his broadsides. E. Everett.

Great; extreme; terrible. [Slang] Poor Aroar can not live, and can not die, -- so that he is in an almighty fix. De Quincey. The Almighty, the omnipotent God. Rev. i. 8.

Very grievous or violent; terrible; as, atrocious distempers. [Obs.] Cheyne.

Oppressing with fear or horror; appalling; terrible; as, an awful scene. "The hour of Nature's awful throes." Hemans.

en escape has become impossible. Embolden'd by despair, he stood at bay. Dryden. The most terrible evils are just kept at bay by incessant efforts. I. Taylor

or; funereal drapery. Friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like show death terrible. Bacon. That was the full time they used to wear blacks for the death of their fathers. Sir T. North.

A terrible bugbear.

A threat or threatening; a denunciation of punishment or vengeance. With terrible comminations to all them that did resist. I. Taylor.

, A mysterious, terrible, and evil divinity, regarded by some as the author of creation, by others as a great magician who was supposed to command the spirits of the lower world. See Gorgon. Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name Of Demogorgon. Milton.

Evil in great degree; dreadful; dismal; horrible; terrible; lamentable. Dire was the tossing, deep the groans. Milton. Gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire. Milton.

Dire; dreadful; terrible; calamitous; woeful; as, a direful fiend; a direful day. -- Dire"ful*ly, adv. -- Dire"ful*ness, n.

Terribleness; horror; woefulness. Shak.

Inspiring dread; impressing great fear; fearful; terrible; as, a dreadful storm. " Dreadful gloom." Milton. For all things are less dreadful than they seem. Wordsworth.

ving toleration to Protestants. Its revocation by Louis XIV. (A. D. 1685) was followed by terrible persecutions and the expatriation of thousands of French Protestants.

by which any effect is produced; especially, an instrument or machine of war or torture. "Terrible engines of death." Sir W. Raleigh.

words, and the like. Ah, what a sign it is of evil life, When death's approach is seen so terrible. Shak.

Inspiring fear or awe; exciting apprehension or terror; terrible; frightful; dreadful. This glorious and fearful name, The Lord thy God. Deut. xxviii. 58. Death is a fearful thing. Shak. In dreams they fearful precipices tread. Dryden.

Exciting, or tending to excite, horror or fear; dreadful; terrible; shocking; hideous; as, a horrible sight; a horrible story; a horrible murder. A dungeon horrible on all sides round. Milton.

Sounding dreadfully; uttering a terrible sound. [Obs.] Bailey.