terrific
adjEtymology 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.
1
Archaic 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.1798, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, “[Maria: or, The] Wrongs of Woman”, in W[illiam] Godwin, editor, Posthumous Works of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. […], volume I, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […]; and G[eorge,] G[eorge] and J[ohn] Robinson, […], →OCLC, chapter III, page 50:
- Think of wandering amid sepulchral ruins, of stumbling over the bones of the dead, of encountering what I cannot describe,—the horror of being among those who are neither the living or the dead;—those dark and shadowless things that sport themselves with the reliques of the dead, and feast and love amid corruption,—ghastly, mocking, and terrific.1820, [Charles Robert Maturin], Melmoth the Wanderer: A Tale. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Company, and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 154:
1 more example
- He made love in a coach and six, and married in a coach and twelve, and all his horses were milk-white horses with one red spot on the back which he caused to be hidden by the harness. For, the spot would come there, though every horse was milk-white when Captain Murderer bought him. And the spot was young bride's blood. (To this terrific point I am indebted for my first personal experience of a shudder and cold beads on the forehead.)1860, Charles Dickens, Captain Murderer:
2
Very strong or intense; excessive, tremendous.
- The car came round the bend at a terrific speed.
- I've got a terrific hangover this morning.
3 more examples
- The ſtar tremulous turn'd its thundering poles, and the whole creation reſounded; when, with terrific haſte, Adamida, in obediance to the divine command, flew amidſt overwhelming ſtorms, ruſhing clouds, falling mountains, and ſwelling ſeas.1769, Joseph Collyer, transl., The Messiah, 4th edition, page 280:
- When the warriors saw this, their cheers were terrific.1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 23, column 2:
- From Atlantic to Pacific / Gee, the traffic is terrific.1954, “(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays”, Al Stillman (lyrics), Robert Allen (music):
3
Extremely good; excellent, amazing.
- I say! She's a terrific tennis player.
- Derived terms
- bonerific, fantasterrific, stonerific, superterrific, terrifically, terrification, terrificness, unterrific