terrific

adjective ter·rif·ic \ tə-ˈri-fik \

Definition of terrific

1 :unusually fine :magnificent

terrific weather

2 :extraordinary

terrific speed

3 a :exciting or fit to excite fear or awe

a terrific thunderstorm

b :very bad :frightful

—

terrifically

play \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See terrific defined for English-language learners

See terrific defined for kids

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

The thumping, stomping, rhythmic, Celtic music is played by a terrific onstage band.

— toby zinman, Philly.com, "'Come From Away': A joyous reminder that all need not be grim," 25 Aug. 2017
Given that Christie’s plays are more about the gimmick than the characters, audiences can take satisfaction in the terrific cast assembled by director John Rensenhouse.

— robert w. butler, kansascity, "Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ hits the Union Station City Stage," 13 Aug. 2017
Fired, rehired The Washington Post did a terrific job in chronicling how cops can get fired for misconduct then rehired, in part due to union contracts.

— The Hive, "“He Cried Like a Baby”: Trump Explodes on Twitter in Early-Morning Rant," 7 Aug. 2017
Fortunately, the weather this year was terrific and turnout should have been much higher than during last year's hot, rainy week.

— bill mego, Naperville Sun, "Column: Schools should not be dictating start and end of summer," 4 Aug. 2017
Let’s combine a terrific evening at a great concert hall with a chance to defeat the illiberal Left.

— dennis prager, National Review, "Another Left-Wing Attempt at Ostracism," 1 Aug. 2017
Your letter of recommendation: Admissions officers go through 30+ letters in a sitting, so a great one is a terrific opportunity to leap off of the page (and ahead of the pack).

— daniel lerner and alan schlechter, Town & Country, "How To Get a Great College Recommendation Letter," 21 July 2017
Lombardi has a terrific line, including modern-day Hall of Famers Willie Roaf at left tackle and Russ Grimm at right guard.

— tim layden, SI.com, "The MMQB All-Time Draft: The Ultimate Football Fantasy," 19 July 2017
Most Republicans were loyal, terrific & worked really hard.

— susan cornwell, Alaska Dispatch News, "Republicans left scrambling after health bill sinks again," 18 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1667

See Words from the same year

terrific Synonyms

Synonyms

A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], boss [slang], brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool [slang], corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope [slang], down [slang], dynamite, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous [slang], fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters (also gangbuster), gilt-edged (or gilt-edge), gone [slang], grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype [slang], immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous (or marvellous), mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, out-of-sight [slang], par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat [slang], prime, primo [slang], prize, prizewinning, quality, radical [slang], righteous [slang], sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, excellent, tip-top, top, top-flight, top-notch, top-of-the-line, topping [chiefly British], top-shelf, unsurpassed, wizard [chiefly British], wonderful

Antonyms

atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched

Related Words

acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK (or okay), passable, satisfactory, tolerable; better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine; classical, standard, traditional

Near Antonyms

bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory; mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

TERRIFIC Defined for English Language Learners

terrific

adjective

Definition of terrific for English Language Learners

: extremely good
: causing a feeling of surprise or wonder

TERRIFIC Defined for Kids

terrific

adjective ter·rif·ic \ tə-ˈri-fik \

Definition 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).

show

terrific

Definition of terrific

terrifically

Read the Latest from M-W

Examples of terrific in a Sentence

Recent Examples of terrific from the Web

Origin and Etymology of terrific

terrific Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

TERRIFIC Defined for English Language Learners

terrific

Definition of terrific for English Language Learners

TERRIFIC Defined for Kids

terrific

Definition of terrific for Students

Learn More about terrific

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066