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 of horrific

• gruesome
• shocking
• horrible
• terrible
• nightmare
• horrifying
• frightening

Examples of horrific in a Sentence

horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Recent Examples on the Web

Now there are cool churches who accept queerness and don’t paint it as this horrific sin. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2026

Federica Brignone winning slalom gold after a horrific injury last year was perhaps the highlight. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 17 Feb. 2026

Faisal recounted a horrific experience during his family’s displacement, when they were stopped at the Hallaba—a checkpoint the Israeli military had set up for fleeing Gazans. —Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026

Russians are waging a horrific, damaging, costly war on Ukraine. —Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026

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