What does terrific really mean?

What does terrific really mean?

1 : unusually fine : magnificent terrific weather. 2 : extraordinary terrific speed. 3a : exciting or fit to excite fear or awe a terrific thunderstorm. b : very bad : frightful.

Is terrific bad or good?

Terrible and terrific are both formed off the same root: terror. Both started out a few hundred years ago with the meaning of terror-inducing. But terrific took a strange turn at the beginning of the 20th century and ended up meaning really great, not terrible or terror-inducing at all.

What is the meaning of terrific work?

adj. 1 very great or intense.

What does pretty terrific mean?

If you describe something or someone as terrific, you are very pleased with them or very impressed by them.

What is the meaning of terrific girl?

young woman who adopts a unconventional behavior and look. term largely used in the 20's to describe women who acted contrary to what was commonly expected by going out, drinking, smoking, dancing, wearing make-up etc.

What is the synonym of terrific?

adjective. 1'there was a terrific bang' tremendous, huge, massive, gigantic, colossal, mighty, great, very great, very big, prodigious, formidable, sizeable, considerable. intense, extreme, extraordinary, excessive, inordinate. informal mega, whopping, whopping great, humongous.

How did terrific change meaning?

. Terrible and terrific are both formed off the same root: terror. Both started out a few hundred years ago with the meaning of terror-inducing. But terrific took a strange turn at the beginning of the 20th century and ended up meaning really great, not terrible or terror-inducing at all.

What is difference between terrific and terrible?

As adjectives the difference between terrific and terrible is that terrific is (colloquial) frighteningly good while terrible is dreadful; causing alarm and fear.

Does terrific mean good?

extraordinarily great or intense: terrific speed. extremely good; wonderful: a terrific vacation. causing terror; terrifying.

Why is terrific positive?

The positive “terrific” dates to the slang-heavy flapper era, where “killer” also became a playful positive. “Egregious,” a word that made the opposite crossing from positive to negative (it used to mean notable, excellent), also appears to have arisen from an ironic use.

What are three synonyms for terrific?

terrific

• awesome.
• awful.
• dreadful.
• great.
• horrible.
• huge.
• terrible.
• tremendous.

What's the difference between horrific and terrific?

Be careful however with the adjective terrific which does not have the same meaning as horrific. Whereas horrific means very bad, terrific means very good. Compare the following: The food was terrible.

Where does terrific come from?

terrific (adj.) 1660s, "frightening," from Latin terrificus "causing terror or fear, frightful," from terrere "fill with fear" (see terrible) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").

Is terrific informal?

These are all informal words that describe someone or something that is very good, pleasant, enjoyable, etc.

Can terrific mean good?

extremely good; wonderful: a terrific vacation. causing terror; terrifying.

What is the synonym terrific?

In this page you can discover 95 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for terrific, like: marvellous, tremendous, wonderful, topflight, shocking, excellent, howling, thunderous, hair-raising, amazing and marvelous.

Is horror short for horrible?

Horrible and horrific are both related to horror but the words have different connotations. While horrible can be used to refer to something that is not liked or is disagreeable, horrific is a somewhat stronger adjective used to describe things which upset and frighten by their sheer mention.

What is the difference between terrific and terrifying?

As adjectives the difference between terrifying and terrific is that terrifying is frightening or intimidating while terrific is (colloquial) frighteningly good.

Is terrific formal?

These are all informal words that describe someone or something that is very good, pleasant, enjoyable, etc. (Fabulous is slightly more old-fashioned than the other words in this set.) ... terrific (informal) extremely good; wonderful:She's doing a terrific job.

What is the difference between horrific and terrific?

Whereas horrific means very bad, terrific means very good.