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
Vonn posted a video message on Instagram on Friday after her horrific crash in the Olympic downhill race at the Milan Cortina Games.
—
Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Paris — Gisèle Pelicot emerged as a global feminist hero in 2024 by transforming her horrific, personal story into a public battle against rape culture.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 12 Feb. 2026
How do people process horrific events?
—Shawna Seed, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
The girl tried to outrun the turning bus before she was hit, video of the horrific incident shows.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Andrew Dampf, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Paris — Gisèle Pelicot emerged as a global feminist hero in 2024 by transforming her horrific, personal story into a public battle against rape culture.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 12 Feb. 2026
How do people process horrific events?
—Shawna Seed, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
The girl tried to outrun the turning bus before she was hit, video of the horrific incident shows.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
Adjective
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And Margot Robbie gives the character a sharpness, an agency that’s a relief from the wilting Catherines of yore — which actually makes her ultimate gruesome fate feel that much more tragic.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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Prisoners endured frequent selections, some by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, known for his gruesome experiments on camp inmates.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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While Dunk emerged victorious in the trial, the battle was not without bloodshed and deaths, including a shocking one no one saw coming.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Saturday’s loss was neither KU’s biggest home loss, nor the most shocking, of the Self era.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And for the next year its law enforcement members were hailed as heroes for their efforts that prevented a horrible situation from becoming even worse.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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There’s nary a crease to be seen in Bina Daigeler’s costumes, all covetable, unapproachable and tailored to the gods; Matthew Herbert’s score may be among the lushest ever slathered over such horrible goings-on.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The question was about the student section’s harassment of former Spartan Xavier Booker, which seemed like a legitimate query considering Booker had a terrible game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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The move was expected because Hill, who played for the Chiefs from 2016-‘21 before being traded to the Dolphins, is recovering from a terrible knee injury.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The trail of terror since is too long to lay out in all its horrifying detail—in Madrid and Munich, in Strasburg and Stockholm, and all the way to Hamas’s mass murder of Jews on October 7, 2023.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
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While the Guthrie disappearance is a rare but horrifying instance of the perils of an elderly person living alone, many families struggle with worry and concern over older relatives who live by themselves.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Trish Walters of Portland, Oregon, another passenger, recounted the frightening incident on social media.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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As unsettling events ripple through the town, Henry begins to grapple with the frightening possibility that he may be connected to the darkness taking hold.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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