horrific

adjective

hȯ-ˈri-fik How to pronounce horrific (audio)
Definition of horrificnext
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of horrific Then came videos and photographs and horrific news about family members. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong and a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 Displaced from their homes, hundreds of families resettled on the low-lying banks of the Trishuli river – only to face yet another horrific disaster on Wednesday. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, used performed a complex operation to preserve mobility for a 3-year-old boy who had to have part of his leg amputated after suffering a horrific accident with a lawnmower. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
  1. gruesome
  2. shocking
  3. horrible
  4. terrible
  5. nightmare
  6. horrifying
  7. frightening
Adjective
  • In 1987, the United Klans of America was ordered to pay $7 million for the gruesome 1981 murder of Michael Donald, a Black teenager whose body was found hanging from a tree in Mobile, Alabama.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Her credits include Obi-Wan, Rebel Moon and The Orville, as well as the gruesome culinary creations of Grotesquerie and drinkable blood for American Horror Story.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruesome
Adjective
  • In front of adoring fans in Shanghai, the UFC veteran and perennial contender in the UFC bantamweight division scored a shocking upset win over Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event on Saturday.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The August nonfarm payrolls report that releases Friday will be coming off a low set of expectations, given the shocking loss of jobs in July.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • These two rubber bands in our throat are affected by everything from hormones to psychology to a bad day to a horrible night’s sleep to the sniffles or whatever.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • But even without it, there seems to be some truth to the idea that if these teams were terrible businesses, they wouldn’t be sold for billions of dollars.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But the 22-year-old is not alone in having a nightmare individual performance on a high-profile sporting stage.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of nightmare
Adjective
  • Finding a place where the familiar and the horrifying meet has always been a sweet spot for Kelly.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • IndieWire exclusively releases the video, which sees the two directors discussing everything from post-production workflows to the horrifying experience of being a young person in a world that often feels brutally unstable.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrifying
Adjective
  • The thoughts that accompany these conditions can be alarming and frightening, making many women reluctant to talk about them or seek help.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There are frightening stories of swordfish charging boats, and even spearing their transoms and whacking propellers.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightening

Browse Nearby Words

horridness
horrific
horrifically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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