terrific
English · Thesaurus
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terrific
- /təˈɹɪf.ɪk/ Australia, Canada, US
Rhymes with -ɪfɪk
Where it comes from
From French terrifique, and its source, Latin terrificus (“terrifying”), from terrēre (“to frighten, terrify”) + -ficus, related to facere (“to make”). By surface analysis, terrify + -ic.
The sense of excellent or amazing is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of terrifying. Compare similar semantic development in sick and wicked.
adjective more terrific · most terrific · terrifick
-
Causing terror; terrifying.
[T]he diſmal ſhrieks of demoniac rage […] rouſed phantoms of horror in her mind, far more terrific than all that dreaming ſuperſtition ever drew.
Similar: affreux, alarming, spine-tingling, appalling, awful, eldritch, buggish, butt-clenching, buttock-clenching, dismayful, dreadful, fearful
- Very strong or intense; excessive, tremendous. The car came round the bend at a terrific speed.
- Extremely good; excellent, amazing. I say! She's a terrific tennis player.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: terrifying, alarming, intense, howling, rattling, wonderful, marvelous, wondrous, tremendous, extraordinary, fantastic, fearsome, frightening, horrifying, scary, horrible
Translations
Every language
adj terrifying
| Español | terrífico |
|---|---|
| Français | terrifiant |
| Deutsch | fürchterlich, furchtbar, schrecklich, schreckeinjagend, grauenvoll |
adj great or intense
| Español | terrífico |
|---|---|
| Português | tremendo |
| Deutsch | sagenhaft, irre, rasant, fulminant, gewaltig |
adj extremely good
| Español | terrífico |
|---|---|
| Português | formidável, estupendo, fantástico |
| Français | formidable, fantastique |
| Deutsch | fantastisch, hervorragend, supertoll, wahnsinnig, irre, sagenhaft |
| Italiano | eccezionale, stupendo |
| Ελληνικά | τρομερός tromerós, φοβερός foverós, φανταστικός fantastikós |
| Русский | потряса́ющий potrjasájuščij |
Talk about this word "terrific." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/terrific. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. terrific. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/terrific "terrific." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/terrific.Cite this
@misc{terrific_2026,
title = {terrific},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/terrific},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
