horrific

adjective

hor·rif·ic hȯ-ˈri-fik

hä-

Synonyms of horrific next

: having the power to horrify

a horrific account of the tragedy

horrifically

hȯ-ˈri-fi-k(ə-)lē

hä-

adverb

Examples of horrific in a Sentence

horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Former detainees at the horrific Saydnaya prison near Damascus said Amer had disappeared in mid-April 2015 after being tortured there. —

Raja Razek, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024 Eric Gordon was also supposed to provide some secondary ball-handling off the bench in theory, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old is off to a horrific start this season. —

Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 The horrific results of those actions — and failures to act — all come across Torbenson’s desk. —

John Diedrich, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024 The film follows the ABC Sports news team who — quite unexpectedly — were thrust into profound human tragedy and brain-breaking news history during the horrific events of the 1972 Munich Olympics. —

Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for horrific

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of horrific was in 1653

See more words from the same year