horrific

adjective

hor·​rif·​ic hȯ-ˈri-fik 

hä-

: having the power to horrify

a horrific account of the tragedy

horrifically

hȯ-ˈri-fi-k(ə-)lē 

hä-

adverb

Synonyms

• appalling
• atrocious
• awful
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• grisly
• gruesome
• grewsome
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrid
• horrifying
• lurid
• macabre
• monstrous
• nightmare
• nightmarish
• shocking
• terrible
• terrific

Examples of horrific in a Sentence

horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Recent Examples on the Web

Goldberg's words come over a year after The View began an unrelenting battle with gaseous entities, following a horrific water spillage (and mysterious fart noise of unknown origin) that plagued the Hot Topics table in January 2023. —EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Travis and Jason are clearly very close with one another, and the fan that hurled such a horrific thing led to Jason reacting in a very angry manner. —James Brizuela, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

And, prior to that, she was forced to sit out her first season at Oregon after transferring from the University of Texas following a horrific leg injury. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

More details are emerging of the devastation in the Valencia region, with residents reporting large amounts of damage and horrific encounters with the rapidly rising water. —Lauren Kent, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & Latin; French horrifique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin horrificus "inspiring awe or dread, frightening," from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver" + -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at horror entry 1

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above