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 This book felt like such a loving closure to a horrific experience we were forced to share together. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Few other performers could pull off her double act, as both a caring mom and her horrific doppelgänger. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Empty seats As the war stretches into the fifth school year, its horrific toll on communities becomes increasingly tangible. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026 Callers expressed the shock of seeing a horrific event take place in front of their homes. — David Fleshler, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 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
  • The Menendez brothers, imprisoned 37 years in the gruesome murder of their parents, are getting a second shot at freedom.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Simply to give us the gruesome scene of the kid convulsing to death while leaking blood from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • That whole sequence with Troy and Susan at the start of this episode is just … shocking.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Other films have handled the shocking deaths of romantic leads with more grace — Anne Hathaway riding her bike in front of a certain semi-truck in 2011 comes to mind — even while doing objectively less to ensure that they’re understood.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Turkish football is a chaotic, infuriating, sometimes horrible but always entertaining place.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The defense says their client had no control over her fatal actions despite the clear planning of the horrible event.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • McDaniel is an expert communicator — and terrible at communicating with modern devices.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Before the terrible day was over firehouses, street corners and parks became mourning places.
    — Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 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
  • Finding a place where the familiar and the horrifying meet has always been a sweet spot for Kelly.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • IndieWire exclusively releases the video, which sees the two directors discussing everything from post-production workflows to the horrifying experience of being a young person in a world that often feels brutally unstable.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrifying
Adjective
  • Poty remembers his most frightening confrontation, from a couple of years ago.
    — Marina Dias, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2026
  • As its frightening trailers have shown, Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Hoyeon play villagers facing off with a mysterious and violent creature.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of frightening

Browse Nearby Words

horridness
horrific
horrifically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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