Meaning & use
terrific
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformal
Very good, wonderful or enjoyable.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a terrific idea, the food was terrific.
Patterns
- terrific at something
- terrific for someone
We had a terrific time at the beach.
She is a terrific cook and makes the best lasagna.
That's a terrific idea, let's do it.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Very great in amount, size or force.
Grammar: Comes before a noun and stresses size: a terrific noise.
Patterns
- a terrific + noun
A terrific storm blew in from the sea.
There was a terrific crash from the kitchen.
The driver was going at a terrific speed.
adjectivebefore a nounold-fashionedliterary
Extremely frightening, which is the original meaning and is now rare.
Grammar: Used in older or literary writing.
The villain's terrific roar echoed through the cave.
Early travelers described the terrific power of the waterfall.
The battle was a terrific sight.
Word forms
| comparative | more terrific |
|---|---|
| superlative | most terrific |
Common combinations
- terrific job
- You did a terrific job on the presentation.
- terrific idea
- Going for a picnic is a terrific idea.
- terrific news
- I just got some terrific news from the doctor.
- feel terrific
- I feel terrific after that long walk.
- look terrific
- You look terrific in that jacket.
Synonyms and how they differ
- great
- Great is the most common word and a bit milder, while terrific sounds more enthusiastic.
- wonderful
- Wonderful suggests something that fills you with delight, while terrific is more casual.
- fantastic
- Fantastic is a similar informal exclamation, though slightly stronger.
- excellent
- Excellent is more formal and judges quality, while terrific expresses excitement.
Opposites
Word family
- terrifically adverb
- extremely or very well
- terrify verb
- to frighten greatly
- terrifying adjective
- extremely frightening
- terror noun
- extreme fear
Commonly confused: terrific or terrible? terrific or terrifying?
terrific vs terrible
Terrible means very bad, whereas terrific usually means very good, even though both come from the idea of terror.
terrific vs terrifying
Terrifying means causing great fear, which is the opposite mood to terrific in modern use.
Practice
The concert was ____, and we are already planning to see the band again.
Choose one answer.
Terrific means very good, which matches wanting to see the band again. Terrible, terrifying and tedious are all negative.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “terrific”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.