as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horrific
Six days have passed since the beginning of this horrific war.
—
Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 June 2025
The Assad regime suddenly collapsed in December – following years of diplomatic isolation over its horrific abuses in a savage civil war – after Syria’s northern neighbor, Turkey, helped rebels overwhelm Damascus.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
By the time these diseases reach their horrific final stages, patients have lost the very mental capacity the law demands.
—Paul Fillinger, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Peasants rose up against the authorities, socialists and communists proliferated, and the government used horrific violence to control the populace.
—Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Chad De Guzman, Time, 19 June 2025
The Assad regime suddenly collapsed in December – following years of diplomatic isolation over its horrific abuses in a savage civil war – after Syria’s northern neighbor, Turkey, helped rebels overwhelm Damascus.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
By the time these diseases reach their horrific final stages, patients have lost the very mental capacity the law demands.
—Paul Fillinger, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Peasants rose up against the authorities, socialists and communists proliferated, and the government used horrific violence to control the populace.
—Ben Woollard, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
Adjective
-
In the wake of the gruesome shootings of two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, Lee took to social media.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
-
So prepare for more gruesome kills, more gross-outs, more insight into how a society might actually look a generation after an unfathomable event.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
But then what looked like a tap-in par on the long par-three eighth turned into a shocking miss.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
-
The team grapples with a leadership shakeup and a shocking ultimatum.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
And in addition to the swing itself, his overall approach at the plate has always been horrible.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
With guidance from Benny’s older sister and her campus-legend boyfriend, Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
For example, while the IRA rollback effort will inevitably mean a significant reduction in U.S. federal support for electric vehicles, nevertheless the adoption of EVs continued in Q1 even despite a terrible quarter for the U.S.’s leading brand (Tesla).—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
How to check food labels for allergies Howard's story is frightening and not entirely uncommon.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
-
The frightening incident unfolded aboard Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on June 8.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share