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.
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement to AFP: "We are saddened by this tragic and horrific incident, and offer our condolences to his family."
From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026
He ended the Ashes with an adductor problem, then suffered a horrific broken cheek when struck by a ball while coaching the Durham academy.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
The first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening with horrific force.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives Russell Findlay said the scenes were "truly horrific" and that faith-based attacks had "absolutely no place in our country".
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
The British boat and the Husky Clipper, for a horrific moment, sat motionless at the line, dead in the water.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
