- horrific (adj.)
- "causing horror," 1650s, from French horrifique or directly from Latin horrificus "dreadful, exciting terror," literally "making the hair stand on end," from horrere "be terrified, bristle, to stand on end" (see horror) + -ficus, from stem of facere "to make, do" (see factitious). An older adjective was horriferous (1620s). Related: Horrifically.
