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

The war has carried a horrific toll for Gazans, with many dead amid the fighting and whole neighborhoods razed to the ground. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025

Instead of just ending on that horrific moment, the show then cuts to Abby several days earlier. —Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025

Pearl Fernandez pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge after the murder of her son Gabriel, on May 24, 2013 31 Comments Pearl Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the horrific murder of her son, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 24 May 2025

Bob is only interested in synergy and either does not know or (more likely) does not care about Ethan’s horrific misconduct. —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 May 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