terrific
/təˈrɪfɪk/
adjective
Origin
Latin
terrificus — causing terror
Overview
Meaning Now
- causing terror or intense fear; terrifying.
- excellent; very good or impressive.
Literal older meaning
causing terror
Language path
Latin → French → English
Earliest form
terrificus
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word underwent a classic semantic shift known as amelioration. Originally describing something frightening or awesome in the older sense of 'awe-inspiring,' it evolved to describe intensity (as in 'terrific noise'), and finally moved toward 'wonderful' or 'excellent' in common usage.
Evolution
- Latin
terrificus
“causing terror”
- Middle French
terrifique
“frightening”
- 17th-century English
terrific
“causing terror”
- 19th-century English
terrific
“intense; extreme (e.g., a terrific headache)”
semantic generalization
- 20th-century English
terrific
“excellent”
colloquial shift from intensity to positive value
Connections
Word parts
terr-
root
fear, terror
-ific
suffix
making, causing
Related across languages
French
terrifique
terrifying
Italian
terrifico
terrifying
Related words
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Related to terrific
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.