How to say "horror" in Japanese

• ホラーCommon
  nounThe loanword for horror as a genre or style of entertainment — frightening films, stories and the like — rather than for the emotion of fear itself.
  近年きんねんでは人間にんげん心理しんりの謎なぞを扱あつかうサイコホラーも人気にんきである。↗

  Psycho-horror films dealing with the mysteries of human psychology are popular these days.
• おそれJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounListed with the sense 'horror', but really the word for fear, anxiety or concern — being afraid of something or worried that it may happen; seldom what you want for horror in the strong sense.
  環境かんきょう汚染おせんについての恐おそれは、人々ひとびとに発電所はつでんしょの近ちかくに家いえを建たてることを思おもいとどまらせた。↗

  Fear of pollution discouraged people from building homes near power plants.
• 恐怖きょうふJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbHorror as an intense emotion: dread, terror or dismay at something frightening. The word to use when 'horror' names the feeling itself rather than the genre.
  私は恐怖きょうふで気きも狂くるわんばかりだった。↗

  I almost went crazy with fear.

Use 「ホラー」 for horror as a genre or style of entertainment, 恐怖 for horror as an emotion of intense fear or terror, and treat 「おそれ」 as primarily 'fear' or 'concern' rather than horror.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ホラーhorror
• おそれfear
• 恐怖きょうふfear