Horror Genre Terminology

noun intense desire for bloodshed or violence

• The soldier's bloodlust was evident as he charged into battle without hesitation.
• That horror movie is full of bloodlust - definitely not for the faint-hearted.
• I can't believe how much bloodlust that character has, it's kind of creepy.
• Her competitiveness on the soccer field was like a bloodlust, driving her to always push harder and never give up.

noun a mythical creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior

• The concept of the bogeyman has been used in literature for centuries to represent a malevolent mythical creature used to frighten children.
• Don't worry about the bogeyman under your bed, it's just a silly story.
• I heard Tommy's dad is the real bogeyman of the neighborhood, always scaring kids with his pranks.
• The fear of failure can be like a bogeyman, lurking in the shadows and holding you back from taking risks.

noun A small, raised area on the skin that appears as a result of cold, fear, or excitement

• The chilling wind gave me goose bumps as I walked to the bus stop.
• That horror movie gave me such bad goose bumps, I couldn't sleep last night.
• The scary story she told us gave me major goose bumps.
• Listening to her sing always gives me goose bumps, she's so talented.

verb past tense of scare

adjective feeling or showing fear or anxiety

• The child was scared of the dark and refused to sleep without a night light.
• I'm scared to watch horror movies alone at night.
• She was so scared, she peed her pants!
• He was scared to take the leap and start his own business.

verb past tense of terrify

adjective causing extreme fear or terror

• The children were terrified when they heard the loud thunder during the storm.
• I was absolutely terrified when I saw the spider crawling towards me.
• I was so terrified, I nearly peed my pants!
• The thought of public speaking terrifies me to my core.

noun the act of removing the internal organs, especially the intestines, from a body

• The forensic pathologist determined that the cause of death was disembowelment.
• I heard that the victim suffered disembowelment in the horrific accident.
• That horror movie had some intense disembowelment scenes that made me cringe.
• The financial scandal led to the disembowelment of the company's reputation.

noun a fictional event or scenario involving the mass extinction of a particular group of people or beings, often in a brutal or violent manner

• The snuffpocalypse was a devastating event that wiped out entire species of animals.
• Did you hear about the snuffpocalypse that happened last week? It was crazy!
• Man, that snuffpocalypse really messed things up around here.
• The snuffpocalypse of social media influencers losing followers was a wake-up call for many.