horrific

adjective

hȯ-ˈri-fik How to pronounce horrific (audio)
Definition of horrificnext
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The plot is carried out to horrific proportions, but the subjects are so utterly moronic that the gag stops being amusing. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 What followed was a horrific night of physical and mental spousal abuse, which Adams describes in searing, emotional prose. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Witnesses recall the horrific scene as a truck plowed through a youth soccer game in Kansas. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 After 150 years, a single, absolutely horrific human death and 30 horse deaths over that same time period have brought no compromise on horses and city asphalt. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
  1. gruesome
  2. shocking
  3. horrible
  4. terrible
  5. nightmare
  6. horrifying
  7. frightening
Adjective
  • Thunder star Jalen Williams, the team’s second-leading scorer and best all-around defender during its title run two seasons ago, fractured a fibula and dislocated his left ankle in a gruesome injury Sunday.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Rescue workers continue to search in the wreckage for survivors and bodies, with witnesses describing a gruesome scene.
    — Anders Hagstrom, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • Democrats notched several shocking flips in seats President Donald won by double digits in 2024, meaning those districts will be some of the toughest to defend in a more even election cycle.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Democrats felt optimistic about taking the majority earlier in the night than some had expected after the shocking win in South Carolina.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Their monthlong travel by ship was under horrible conditions.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • While the fire was horrible, Hong said some blessings have emerged from the tragedy.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But the 22-year-old is not alone in having a nightmare individual performance on a high-profile sporting stage.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Adjective
  • In Obsession’s most horrifying sequence, the audience senses something awful is about to unfold several beats before the frenzy of blunt-force head trauma actually takes place on screen.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That this attack was pulled off with seeming ease and the destruction was horrifying and devastating.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrifying
Adjective
  • The frightening part is that almost anyone can end up on the wrong side of these systems.
    — Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Sussman remembers the 1999 Glastonbury Festival as both frightening and unforgettable.
    — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of frightening

Browse Nearby Words

horridness
horrific
horrifically
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Cite this Entry

“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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