Middle English Dictionary Entry
terrible adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | terrible adj. Also terribil, ter(r)able, terrabil. |
| Etymology | OF terrible & L terribilis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Horrible, frightful, terrible; also, unendurable; (b) castel (of) ~, in Arthurian lore, the Castle Perilous, one of the castles held by the Duke of Cornwall.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)57/1295 : Byholde þe horrour..his chaar þat be terrible as eny tempest.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)430/926 : Ful ten yeer, Ingland hath suffryd this tribut ful terryble..to contynue they dempte an Inpossible.
- (1447-8) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1379 : I..pray my said heirs..to remember the terrible comminations and full fearfull imprecations of holy scripture agayns the brekers of the lawe of god.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)179 : I Counsayl yif that thou be wys fforeyn Empryses which that be terryble Attempte hem nat.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)16 : At the last thay brak up all, and entred, bycause the durs were not fast shutte, with swerdes, axis, glavis, billes, and other terribill and ferefull wepons.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)9145 : Thyn Enmy..ys foul & ek terryble Lothsom also, & Odyble..brouht forth..Off woormys that in erthe krepe.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)141 : It is right selde þat Frenchmen be hanged ffor robbery, ffor thai haue no hartes to do so terable an acte.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.367 : Men..caste that body in to a pytte compassede with hilles in a circuite, where terrible [Trev.: griseliche; L terribiles] voices and sowndes be herde.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)104/23 : To be in labour of the werres, whiche is a terrible [F horrible] name, it accustometh and kepith in estate the walles of our citee of Rome. And reste, whiche is a swete..name hath fulfilled our citee of many dyuerse vices.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)70/2 : By Justice is made meke terrible [L terribile] thynges, and thynges remote approchen neygh.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)87/31 : Stablissh..in the myddes a kynde of shoters, and of casters of wepen, shetyng fire and al-maner of shot, makyng grete noises and terrible [L horribiles] crying and sovnes.
b
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)70/36 : For kynge Ryons lyeth at the sege of the Castell Terrable.
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)8/1-3 : The duke..furnysshed and garnysshed two stronge castels of his, of the whiche the one hyght Tyntagil and the other castel hyght Terrabyl; So his wyf dame Igrayne he putte in the castell of Tyntagil and hymself he putte in the castel of Terrabyl, the whiche had many yssues and posternes oute.