Italian · Emotions & Descriptions

"Terrible" in Italian: terribile

terribile

Say it: teh-REE-bee-lehadjective/terˈri.bi.le/

Terrible in Italian is terribile (teh-REE-bee-leh). Same form for masculine and feminine singular. Una giornata terribile means a terrible day.

Bad commute

Il traffico stamattina era terribile.
The traffic this morning was terrible.
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How to pronounce terribile

Say it

teh-REE-bee-leh

/terˈri.bi.le/

Terribile stresses REE: teh-REE-bee-leh. Soft double r optional roll. Clear vowels.

"Terrible" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
terribileterrible

Days, news, weather.

una giornata terribilea terrible day

Complaint.

un dolore terribileterrible pain

Medical.

terribilmenteterribly

Adverb.

How to use terribile in real life

  1. 1Bad commute

    Il traffico stamattina era terribile.

    The traffic this morning was terrible.

    Terribile with masculine noun.

  2. 2Hotel review

    La connessione wi-fi è terribile qui.

    The wi-fi connection is terrible here.

    Service complaint.

  3. 3Storm story

    Abbiamo passato una notte terribile per il rumore.

    We had a terrible night because of the noise.

    Notte terribile.

Mistakes English speakers make with terribile

Incorrect: Una giornata terribila.

Correct: Una giornata terribile.

Terribile does not change for feminine singular.

Incorrect: È terrible.

Correct: È terribile.

Use terribile, not English terrible.

Good to know

Terribile is strong everyday Italian—save it for real frustration, not mild delays. Friends say che giornata terribile after stacked mishaps. For milder bad, try brutto or pessimo so terribile keeps its punch.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

After a cancelled train

  1. ChatPal

    Questa attesa è terribile.

    This wait is terrible.

  2. You

    Sì, un ritardo terribile senza annunci chiari.

    Yes, a terrible delay without clear announcements.

  3. ChatPal

    Prendiamo un caffè mentre passa questa ora terribile.

    Let's get a coffee while this terrible hour passes.

  4. You

    Ok, almeno restiamo al caldo.

    Ok, at least we stay warm.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Terrible" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Terrible" in Italian

Does it change for gender?

Singular stays terribile; plural is terribili.

Terrible day?

Una giornata terribile.

Milder word?

Brutto or cattivo for softer complaints.

Adverb?

Terribilmente.

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