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

Remember the horrific pro-Western regime of the Shah with its 150,000+ political prisoners? —Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025

Even the hill opposite, which is free to attend, is noticeably quieter, although the horrific, endless rain will have something to do with that. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 June 2025

Hogg’s political genesis began as a senior at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland when the horrific shooting occurred in 2018. —Maximo Bratter, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2025

There is nothing that compares to the horrific atrocities of slavery and Jim Crow. —Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025

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

Rhymes for horrific

• pacific
• prolific
• salvific
• specific
• terrific
• calorific
• conspecific
• hieroglyphic
• honorific
• nonspecific
• scientific
• soporific