horrific
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of horrific
First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin horrificus, equivalent to horri-, combining form of horrēre “to bristle with fear” + -ficus -fic
Explanation
Something horrific causes horror. It’s disastrous and makes you shudder with fear. Yikes! If something horrific, like a deadly car crash, makes your hair stand up, you’re onto something. Horrific comes from the Latin word horrificus — which, if you trace it back, literally means “making the hair stand on end.” Anything horrific fills you with horror and makes you bristle. If you lose your hat, that’s a bummer. A serial killer’s rampage? That's horrific. Save horrific for things that are so scary your hair stands up, or feels like it is.
Vocabulary lists containing horrific
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 5
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Time for Kids: "Typhoon in the Philippines"
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Chapter 9: Civil War and Reconstruction, Lessons 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jewish community volunteer group Shomrim said it was "aware of the horrific video" and the police are taking it "very seriously".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
“It was really a horrific thing,” said Jobson, who worked aboard Turner’s boat, Tenacious.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
"These are people who have made what is a horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an extraordinary situation," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
"These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation," Burke told the media on Wednesday.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
I started to think about all of the horrific things I’ve witnessed.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
