horrific

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /hɔˈrɪfɪk/ UK /hɒˈrɪfɪk/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
causing horror; shockingly dreadful

Survivors described the horrific scenes that followed the crash.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · causing horror; shockingly... horrifying horrible dreadful appalling frightful terrible ghastly gruesome

Opposites

pleasant delightful wonderful

Word family

Derived forms horrifically

Related forms horror horrify horrid horrendous

Etymology

From Latin horrificus ('causing horror'), from horrēre ('to bristle, shudder') + -ficus ('making'), from facere ('to make').

horrificus Latin horrēre Latin facere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# horrific

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** hɔˈrɪfɪk
**IPA (UK):** hɒˈrɪfɪk

## Meanings
1. causing horror; shockingly dreadful

## Examples
- Survivors described the horrific scenes that followed the crash.

## Synonyms
- horrifying
- horrible
- dreadful
- appalling
- frightful
- terrible
- ghastly
- gruesome

## Antonyms
- pleasant
- delightful
- wonderful

## Derived Forms
- horrifically

## Related Forms
- horror
- horrify
- horrid
- horrendous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: horrificus
- Root: horrēre
- Root: facere

## Etymology
From Latin horrificus ('causing horror'), from horrēre ('to bristle, shudder') + -ficus ('making'), from facere ('to make').

## AI Etymology
Horrific comes from Latin horrificus ('causing horror'), from horrēre ('to bristle, shudder') + -ficus ('making'), from facere ('to make'). The historical trail runs through Latin horrificus, Latin horrēre and Latin facere. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means causing horror; shockingly dreadful. Derived formations include horrifically; related forms include horror, horrify, horrid, horrendous.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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