adj
terrific
tuh-RIH-fihk
adj
1
Excellent; wonderful.
"They did a terrific job organizing the event."
"It's a terrific view from up here."
2
Very great in force or intensity.
"The car hit the wall with terrific force."
How to Use Terrific
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually means "excellent" today, though it originally meant "terrifying."
Common mistake
In modern English "terrific" is almost always positive ("a terrific meal") — don't assume it means frightening.
Common pairings
terrific news
a terrific job
terrific force
Word Forms
more terrific comparative, most terrific superlative
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Etymology
From Latin terrificus, "causing terror," from terrere, "to frighten" — the modern positive meaning developed later, much like "sick" and "wicked" also shifted to mean "great."