Definition of terrific
1 : unusually fine : magnificent terrific weather
2 : extraordinary terrific speed
3a : exciting or fit to excite fear or awe a terrific thunderstormb : very bad : frightful
People Are Reading
Examples of terrific in a Sentence
She's given me some terrific ideas.
Your test scores were terrific.
They did a terrific job painting the house.
I had a terrific time.
I've recovered completely. In fact, I feel terrific.
We were hit by a terrific snowstorm last week.
Recent Examples of terrific from the Web
-
Lombardi has a terrific line, including modern-day Hall of Famers Willie Roaf at left tackle and Russ Grimm at right guard.
-
Most Republicans were loyal, terrific & worked really hard.
-
Game of Thrones returned Sunday night with a terrific season 7 opener that featured nearly every major character and set the stage for a brutal clash of queens and an epic end game in Westeros.
-
To top it off, each player gets a terrific player aid/mat that walks people through each step of a turn—extremely helpful when learning.
-
Southeastern Wisconsin is home to some terrific mountain biking trails for everyone from beginners to experts.
-
Federation does so much toward this and is a terrific organization for our investment.
-
Written by Tim Egan, a terrific reporter and columnist for the NY Times.
-
Still, his 44:43 marked a terrific debut – only 18 men have run sub-45 in race history.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terrific.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of terrific
Latin terrificus, from terrēre to frighten
TERRIFIC Defined for English Language Learners
terrific
playDefinition of terrific for English Language Learners
-
: extremely good
-
: causing a feeling of surprise or wonder
TERRIFIC Defined for Kids
terrific
playDefinition of terrific for Students
1 : excellent That's a terrific idea.
2 : very unusual : extraordinary The car was going at terrific speed.
3 : causing terror : terrible The storm caused terrific damage.
Learn More about terrific
-
See words that rhyme with terrific Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for terrific Spanish Central: Translation of terrific Nglish: Translation of terrific for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of terrific for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up terrific? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!