horror story: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumPrimarily informal; used in both casual conversation and media/journalism (in the extended sense). The core meaning can appear in academic literary analysis.
Quick answer
What does “horror story” mean?
A narrative, typically fictional, designed to elicit intense feelings of fear, dread, and revulsion in its audience.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A narrative, typically fictional, designed to elicit intense feelings of fear, dread, and revulsion in its audience.
Any account of a real-life experience, situation, or event that is so shockingly bad, distressing, or terrifying that it resembles a work of horror fiction.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition or usage. The genre conventions and popular examples cited may vary culturally.
Connotations
Identical core connotations of fear and shock. In extended use, both varieties employ it for hyperbolic effect regarding bad experiences.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “horror story” in a Sentence
hear (about) a horror storyrecount a horror story (about)a horror story of [corruption, neglect]a horror story involving [someone/something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “horror story” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Horror stories are not really my thing to read.
- The documentary horror-storied the failings of the system. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- I don't horror-story well; they give me nightmares.
- They horror-storied the event to make it more dramatic. (rare, non-standard)
adverb
British English
- The plot unfolded horror-story slowly. (highly non-standard/poetic)
American English
- The situation developed horror-story fast. (highly non-standard/poetic)
adjective
British English
- She has a horror-story collection spanning decades.
- It was a horror-story scenario for the planning committee.
American English
- He's a horror-story aficionado.
- The report read like a horror-story script.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"The project's budget overrun became a corporate horror story for the new managers."
Academic
"The paper analyses the archetypal structures in 19th-century gothic horror stories."
Everyday
"He told us a horror story about his holiday where the hotel had no running water."
Technical
Not typically used in technical contexts unless metaphorically (e.g., in software: 'a debugging horror story').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “horror story”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “horror story”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “horror story”
- Using 'horrific story' (which emphasizes the gruesomeness of the events rather than the genre). Confusing 'horror story' with 'ghost story' (a specific sub-genre). Incorrect plural: 'horrors story' instead of 'horror stories'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While classic horror stories feature supernatural elements, the genre includes psychological horror, sci-fi horror, and survival horror. In its extended, metaphorical use, it describes any terrifying or disastrous real event.
The core genre term is acceptable in literary or cultural analysis. The metaphorical use ('a regulatory horror story') is common in journalistic or informal business contexts but may be considered too colloquial for very formal academic or official reports.
A horror story's primary goal is to evoke fear, dread, and revulsion, often using supernatural or grotesque elements. A thriller aims to generate excitement, suspense, and tension, typically through plots involving crime, danger, or espionage. There is significant overlap.
Because 'story' is a regular noun where the final '-y' follows a consonant. The rule is to change '-y' to '-ies' for the plural (story -> stories). This applies to the compound noun as a whole: 'horror stories'.
A narrative, typically fictional, designed to elicit intense feelings of fear, dread, and revulsion in its audience.
Horror story: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒrə ˌstɔːri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɔːrər ˌstɔːri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a real horror story in there.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a HORROR film's SCARY STORY. The word 'horror' contains 'orror' which sounds like 'error' – a series of terrifying errors makes a horror story.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BAD EXPERIENCE IS A HORROR STORY; FAILURE IS A MONSTER.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'horror story' used metaphorically?