as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
horrific images of the devastation spurred many people to give generously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Prosecutors say that Acosta's murder 'can only be described as horrific' and say that Tanzi doesn't deserve mercy.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
The consequences for maternal health in the U.S. have been horrific.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
And then Healey et al. stonewalled this newspaper for almost a year about the horrific crime.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Other Brewers refused to attribute a horrific opening series to the bats.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
The consequences for maternal health in the U.S. have been horrific.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
And then Healey et al. stonewalled this newspaper for almost a year about the horrific crime.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Other Brewers refused to attribute a horrific opening series to the bats.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for horrific
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrific
Adjective
-
Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
-
This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Leaders around the world have responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s shocking new tariffs that threaten to upend the global economy with stern words and denunciations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This is great news for our model but terrible for upsets.—
Jordan Brenner,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
-
The domestic box office is presently in a terrible state, and Minecraft could prove to be the shot of confidence Hollywood studios and cinema owners need after recent films, including Disney’s Snow White, have turned into major disappointments.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Good news California began trying to police ghost guns after those frightening findings came out, enacting legislation in both 2022 and 2023 to curtail their unregulated sales.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Horrific.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrific. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share