I.terrible, fearful, dreadful, horrible (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “quod hanc tam tetram, tam horribilem tamque infestam rei publicae pestem toties jam effugimus,” Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 11: “homini accidere nihil posse, quod sit horribile aut pertimescendum,” id. Fam. 5, 21 fin.: species, * Caes. B. G. 7, 36, 2: “spectaculum,” Sall. J. 101, 11: “sonitus,” id. ib. 99, 2: “di magni, horribilem et sacrum libellum!” Cat. 14, 12: “tempestas,” Cic. Rep. 2, 6: “formidines,” id. Fin. 1, 19, 63: “horribiles miserosque casus,” id. de Or. 3, 3, 11: “Mars (stella) rutilus horribilisque terris,” id. Rep. 6, 17: “illud vero fuit horribile, quod vereor, ne, etc.,” id. de Or. 1, 61, 258: “horribile est causam capitis dicere, horribilius priore loco dicere,” id. Quint. 31, 95.—
II. In colloquial lang., sometimes in a good sense, astonishing, amazing, tremendous: sed hoc τέρας (i. e. Cæsar) horribili vigilantia, celeritate, diligentia est, Cic. Att. 8, 9 fin.: “uterque juravit, inter nos periturum esse tam horribile secretum,” Petr. 21, 3.—Hence, adv.: horrĭbĭlĭter , amazingly; in a good sense: horribiliter scripsisti hanc orationem, M. Aurel. ap. Front. Ep. 2, 6 Mai.; August. Civ. Dei, 1, 8 fin.
