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

These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission. —Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Of course, some eight hundred thousand did die—many in horrific ways—while the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves in a postwar state where apartheid was enforced by terror. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

Our office will pursue justice for the victims of these horrific acts. —Charna Flam, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025

The horrific crimes came to light after an MTA train conductor found the dead man, believed to be in his 40s, facedown on the floor of an idling R train at the Whitehall St. subway stop in lower Manhattan about 12:30 a.m. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 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