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
The Fisher Protocol, as it was termed, makes vivid the reality that nuclear war, so often spoken of in the bloodless language of tactics and strategy, is unimaginably horrific.
—
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Over the past 10 days, more than a dozen college campuses have been the target of the dangerous criminal hoax known as swatting, with law enforcement lured to a location in response to a false report of a horrific crime.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Kerr kicks his habit early in the film—there’s no real spiraling decline, no horrific bottoming out.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
Police said that Westman used a Ram ProMaster City van registered to his father to get to the school to carry out the horrific shooting.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Over the past 10 days, more than a dozen college campuses have been the target of the dangerous criminal hoax known as swatting, with law enforcement lured to a location in response to a false report of a horrific crime.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
Kerr kicks his habit early in the film—there’s no real spiraling decline, no horrific bottoming out.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
Police said that Westman used a Ram ProMaster City van registered to his father to get to the school to carry out the horrific shooting.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
Adjective
-
Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
At the time, and in the next nearly two years, the Kansas City region also experienced the gruesome abuse and neglect deaths of three children ages 4 to 6, including one boy who fell from a 17th floor apartment window in November 2023.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The impressive amount of hair on the top of his head owes everything to United’s shocking results on the field.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Seeing the Packers miss the playoffs would be a shocking outcome for the 2025 season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But that spring, my mental health wasn’t in a good place thanks to the volatile combination of two years of pandemic lockdown, switching my antidepressants, my undiagnosed ADHD and a horrible case of writer's block.—
Alison Cochrun,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The Succession Wars took a much darker turn thanks to the development of not just Battlemechs but of horrible flesh and steel monsters called abominations.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That alone would be nightmare enough, but this debate has been constructed and is moderated by Sam Reich.—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The case became even more horrifying when he was accused of plotting to silence a key witness.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Bigelow’s work is procedural to its core, and that this film is a speculative what-if is made all the more horrifying because of its banality.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Thunderstorms and lightning, very very frightening.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Since the release of 2013's The Conjuring, the frightening franchise has generally lost steam at the box office.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share