terrific

adjective

ter·​rif·​ic tə-ˈri-fik How to pronounce terrific (audio)
1
: unusually fine : magnificent
terrific weather
2
: extraordinary
terrific speed
3
a
: exciting or fit to excite fear or awe
a terrific thunderstorm
b
: very bad : frightful
terrifically adverb

Examples of terrific in a Sentence

She's given me some terrific ideas. Your test scores were terrific. They did a terrific job painting the house. I had a terrific time. I've recovered completely. In fact, I feel terrific. We were hit by a terrific snowstorm last week.
Recent Examples on the Web The production design is terrific, as if Pedro Almodóvar decided to share his palette of popping colors, and the cast is impeccable, but nothing here ever feels sufficiently sharp, sophisticated or simply funny. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The screenplay was tight, the actors were terrific, the locations were accurate, all the sets were perfect. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 And to be with all those terrific actors —Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Stellan Skarsgård—and to go to Budapest, which is a beautiful city. Zack Sharf, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 For that, Deputy Art Director Brandon Palacio chose Andrew Archer, whose work has a terrific balance of realism and stylistic flair. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2024 Saraceni's singing voice, Edie Flores, had a terrific rock-star presence and authority. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2024 Have a terrific Thursday! – Closing the wealth gap. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 The terrific piece on swearing, mostly unquotable here, is a delicious exercise in restraint and targeted release. Charles Arrowsmith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Following a terrific rookie year, the Reds have even higher expectations for Matt McLain. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrific.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificus, from terrēre to frighten

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrific was in 1667

Dictionary Entries Near terrific

Cite this Entry

“Terrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrific. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

terrific

adjective
ter·​rif·​ic tə-ˈrif-ik How to pronounce terrific (audio)
1
: causing terror : terrible
terrific destruction
2
: very great in degree : extraordinary
a car going at terrific speed
3
: unusually good
makes terrific chili
terrifically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on terrific

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