horrific English · revision 39772

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1653, T. Urquhart, translation of Rabelais|origins=la horreō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * UK: /həˈɹɪfɪk/^(Wiktionary)

+ * US: /həˈɹɪfɪk/, /hɔˈɹɪfɪk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|fr|horrifique]], recorded in Rabelais in 1532, or directly [[la|horrificus|t=dreadful, causing terror]],^(OED 2026)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) which the American Heritage Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English give as the source.^(AHD 2024)^(ODE 2010) The Latin adjective is formed from [[m|la|horreō|t=to bristle, tremble, shudder]] and the suffix [[la|-ficus|t=making]], which became [[-fic]];^(AHD 2024)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) it meant literally "making the hair stand on end".^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) The same verb is the source of [[horror]], [[horrid]] and [[horrible]].^(Etymonline)^(ODE 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Causing horror, horrifying: 1653, in Sir Thomas Urquhart's translation of Rabelais,^(OED 2026)^(HTOED)^(MWU 2024) the 1650s in Etymonline and 1645–55 in Dictionary.com.^(Etymonline)^(Dictionary.com 2016)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word has kept its first meaning since the 17th century.^(OED 2026)^(HTOED) Etymonline notes that an older English adjective, ''horriferous'', is recorded from the 1620s,^(Etymonline) and the adverb ''horrifically'' from the late 17th century.^(SOED 2002) In current use it is a strong word for anything shocking or appalling, from injuries and crimes to a very bad experience.^(Collins 2023)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1620s – ''horriferous''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1653 – causing horror.^(OED 2026)^(MWU 2024)

+ * late 17th century – ''horrifically''.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Causing [[horror]]; [[horrifying]], [[dreadful]]: ''The crash left the driver with horrific burns.''^(Collins 2023)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[horrifically]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[horrendous]]

+ * [[horrible]]

+ * [[horrify]]

+ * [[horror]]

+ * [[horrid]]

+ * [[terrific]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}