as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrific
But this horrific incident was a terrifying wake-up call.
—
Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
The mother of a 7-month-old girl killed by a stray bullet while sitting in her stroller in Brooklyn is devastated by Wednesday's horrific tragedy.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
But the Star Search experience turned horrific.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Few cops are so charismatic and horrific as Asbæk’s character.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Gayle Pearlstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026
The mother of a 7-month-old girl killed by a stray bullet while sitting in her stroller in Brooklyn is devastated by Wednesday's horrific tragedy.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
But the Star Search experience turned horrific.
—Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
Few cops are so charismatic and horrific as Asbæk’s character.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 31 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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How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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