ужа́сный
užásnyj
The Russian word for "terrible" is ужа́сный (užásnyj).
Ужа́сный is a straightforward translation for "terrible" and can refer to something extremely bad or of poor quality.
Meaning: very bad (adj)
Which one should you use?
While ужа́сный means terrible, other words express different nuances of badness. Отвратительный conveys a strong sense of disgust or repulsion and describes something extremely unpleasant or offensive. Жуткий translates to horrifying and is typically used to describe something that evokes fear or causes extreme discomfort. For more casual or low-quality situations, you might use плохой (bad) or the slang expression отстойный (awful or terrible).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its ending to match the gender of the noun it describes: ужа́сная is the feminine form, ужа́сное is the neuter form and ужа́сные is the plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
užásnyj
Did you know?
- In colloquial Russian, ужа́сный is often used as an intensifier meaning 'extremely' or 'very' to describe positive things, such as ужа́сно красивый for 'terribly beautiful'.
- If you are reacting to a bad situation in a very casual, slangy way, you might hear the word отстойный. This comes from the word for 'stagnant water' or 'refuse', implying something is 'gross' or 'rubbish'.
- When Russians want to say something is 'terrible' in a way that implies it is a total disaster, they might use the noun кошма́р which literally means 'nightmare'.
Examples in context
- Война – жуткое явление.War is a terrible phenomenon.
- Этот ресторан – фиговое место.This restaurant is a lousy place.
- Фильм был просто отстойным.The movie was simply awful.
Example conversation
Alexander and Ekaterina are discussing a meal they just ate.
- Александр AleksandrКак тебе этот суп?Kak tebe etot sup?How do you like this soup?
- Екатерина EkaterinaОн просто ужа́сный!On prosto uzhasnyy!It is just terrible!
- Александр AleksandrЯ согласен, он совсем невкусный.Ya soglasen, on sovsem nevkusnyy.I agree, it tastes bad.
- Екатерина EkaterinaБольше я тут не буду есть.Bol'she ya tut ne budu est'.I will not eat here again.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “terrible” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
