as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously
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Recent Examples of horrific
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski connected the crowd calling for Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect, to set a murderer free instead of Jesus with today’s climate, where people are witnessing horrific acts and not always speaking up.
—
Alie Skowronski, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
And then, this horrific, mysterious smog shows up.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Further turmoil followed when a horrific video from 2023, of an aggressive incident between the couple where a child is present, dropped on TMZ.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
To the stories and history of his grandparents in the El Salvador of the 1980s when a horrific civil war raged.
—Sara Sidner, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Alie Skowronski, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
And then, this horrific, mysterious smog shows up.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Further turmoil followed when a horrific video from 2023, of an aggressive incident between the couple where a child is present, dropped on TMZ.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026
To the stories and history of his grandparents in the El Salvador of the 1980s when a horrific civil war raged.
—Sara Sidner, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
Adjective
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Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
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And in another gruesome moment, there is a frightening shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood, with bodies strewn across a banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Marin stuck to her plan of staying close until a moment that changed everything with shocking swiftness — her changing her mind and going for the green on the par-5 13th for a go-ahead birdie, and Talley adding to the sad history of collapses on the back nine at the home of the Masters.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Emma’s shocking admission rattles the entire wedding party, particularly Haim’s Rachel, whose cousin was left paralyzed by an act of gun violence.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
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Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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This is the nightmare scenario for California Democrats.—
Tom Charron,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Then there were a series of deadly chemical attacks in Syria, including a particularly horrifying attack in Ghouta that left hundreds of people—including children—dead.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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Emma’s past behavior is very specific and horrifying to consider, yet what makes The Drama broadly appealing is Charlie’s anxiety about it.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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