fürchterlich
terrible
Very bad, unpleasant, or awful. It describes a negative quality or experience.
EXAMPLE
Wir hatten gestern ein fürchterliches Gewitter.
We had a terrible thunderstorm yesterday.
fürchterlich
terrible
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
fürchterlich
terribly
Used as an adverb to intensify another word; means 'very' or 'extremely'.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mich fürchterlich auf das Wochenende gefreut.
I was terribly excited about the weekend.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word 'fürchterlich' (terrible/terribly) is derived from 'die Furcht' (fear). Literally, it describes something that causes fear or is so intense that it seems frightening.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund hatte fürchterliche Angst vor dem lauten Knall.
The dog was terribly afraid of the loud bang.
Context clue
You can tell from context whether 'fürchterlich' is meant negatively ('schrecklich' — terrible) or only as an intensifier ('sehr' — very). In connection with negative things, it means 'terrible'; in connection with positive or neutral things, it means 'extremely'.
EXAMPLE
Das war ein fürchterlicher Fehler.
That was a terrible mistake.
Typical collocations
In its negative meaning, 'fürchterlich' (terrible) is often used to describe unpleasant states or events. Typical combinations are 'fürchterliche Schmerzen' (terrible pain), 'ein fürchterlicher Unfall' (a terrible accident), or 'fürchterlicher Lärm' (terrible noise).
EXAMPLE
Wegen des fürchterlichen Wetters wurde das Konzert abgesagt.
Because of the terrible weather, the concert was canceled.
Register
The use of 'fürchterlich' (terribly) as an intensifier, especially in positive statements, is very common mainly in spoken colloquial language.
EXAMPLE
Diese Pizza schmeckt fürchterlich gut!
This pizza tastes terribly good!
Compare with
fürchterlich vs sehr
very
Sehr and fürchterlich can both intensify an adjective. Sehr remains neutral, while fürchterlich sounds more emotional and usually suggests a negative evaluation. Sehr is suitable for a factual statement; fürchterlich fits when expressing strong annoyance or discomfort.
fürchterlich
Die lange Wartezeit war fürchterlich unangenehm.
The long wait was terribly unpleasant.
sehr
Die lange Wartezeit war sehr unangenehm.
The long wait was very unpleasant.
In real life
Loading video examples...