horrific
adjective
hor·rif·ic hȯ-ˈri-fik 
hä-
: having the power to horrify
a horrific account of the tragedy
horrifically
hȯ-ˈri-fi-k(ə-)lē
adverb hä-
Synonyms
- appalling
- atrocious
- awful
- dreadful
- frightful
- ghastly
- grisly
- gruesome
- grewsome
- hideous
- horrendous
- horrible
- horrid
- horrifying
- lurid
- macabre
- monstrous
- nightmare
- nightmarish
- shocking
- terrible
- terrific
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously
Recent Examples on the Web What should have been a sparse gathering turned into a horrific event. 
Sen. Tim Scott | Fox News, Fox News, 4 Aug. 2022 Miller said the memories from that night were horrific. Arkansas Online, 24 July 2022 Once a child actor on the rise with a Goonies–like career path, Jupe was the star of a fictional comedy called Kid Sheriff until a horrific on-set tragedy stalled his momentum. Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 20 July 2022 Two days later, the horrific tragedy was discovered. Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 30 June 2022 McConnell's comments came a day after several Democrats expressed pessimism that Republicans would be open to substantial movement on guns even with the horrific tragedy of Uvalde on the nation's conscience. Morgan Watkins, The Courier-Journal, 27 May 2022 Two days after the horrific event, the Duchess of Sussex traveled to Uvalde, Texas, where she was photographed placing a bouquet of white roses at a memorial outside the Uvalde County Courthouse on May 26. Glamour, 26 May 2022 McConnell's comments came a day after several Democrats expressed pessimism that Republicans would be open to substantial movement on guns even with the horrific tragedy of Uvalde on the nation's conscience. Ledyard King, USA TODAY, 26 May 2022 Even in the face of horrific tragedy, Republicans remain ardently opposed. Rick Klein, ABC News, 25 May 2022 See More
Sen. Tim Scott | Fox News, Fox News, 4 Aug. 2022 Miller said the memories from that night were horrific. Arkansas Online, 24 July 2022 Once a child actor on the rise with a Goonies–like career path, Jupe was the star of a fictional comedy called Kid Sheriff until a horrific on-set tragedy stalled his momentum. Joshua Rothkopf, EW.com, 20 July 2022 Two days later, the horrific tragedy was discovered. Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 30 June 2022 McConnell's comments came a day after several Democrats expressed pessimism that Republicans would be open to substantial movement on guns even with the horrific tragedy of Uvalde on the nation's conscience. Morgan Watkins, The Courier-Journal, 27 May 2022 Two days after the horrific event, the Duchess of Sussex traveled to Uvalde, Texas, where she was photographed placing a bouquet of white roses at a memorial outside the Uvalde County Courthouse on May 26. Glamour, 26 May 2022 McConnell's comments came a day after several Democrats expressed pessimism that Republicans would be open to substantial movement on guns even with the horrific tragedy of Uvalde on the nation's conscience. Ledyard King, USA TODAY, 26 May 2022 Even in the face of horrific tragedy, Republicans remain ardently opposed. Rick Klein, ABC News, 25 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from French & Latin; French horrifique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Latin horrificus "inspiring awe or dread, frightening," from horrēre "to be stiffly erect, bristle, shudder, shiver" + -i- -i- + -ficus -fic — more at horror entry 1
First Known Use
1653, in the meaning defined above
horrifically
adverb
as in horribly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- horribly
- terribly
- dreadfully
- horrendously
- awfully
- atrociously
- disastrously
- abysmally
- poorly
- deplorably
- damnably
- bad
- unbearably
- inadequately
- intolerably
- unsatisfactorily
- execrably
- detestably
- inappropriately
- deficiently
- rottenly
- indecently
- grossly
- reprehensibly
- incorrectly
- egregiously
- unsuitably
- badly
- vulgarly
- unspeakably
- unacceptably
- flagrantly
- lousily
- wretchedly
- miserably
- abominably
- shoddily
- naughtily
- vilely
- insufficiently
- odiously
- shabbily
- meagerly
- sleazily
- scantily
- trashily
- inferiorly
- skimpily
- sparely
- stingily
- niggardly
- meanly
- scantly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- well
- adequately
- acceptably
- fine
- nicely
- suitably
- appropriately
- satisfactorily
- okay
- good
- passably
- decently
- tolerably
- fittingly
- correctly
- rightly
- seemly
- all right
- palatably
- felicitously
- respectably
- so-so
- satisfyingly
- decorously
- faithfully
- ideally
- precisely
- exactly
- congruously
- gratifyingly
- OK
- meetly