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

This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026

More impressive will be the execution of the heavy subject matter, as Reeves witnesses a horrific crime and tries to recover her fragile sense of security. —Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026

Rotting inner cities, terrible crime rates, horrific drug problems, public schools that don’t educate, uninhabitable public housing and a mindset of entitlement. —William Z. Fox, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2026

Underwood was killed in a horrific hit-and-run in Brooklyn on Friday morning, struck two drivers — and the first one was driving on the wrong side of the street against traffic, police told the Daily News on Saturday. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 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