Standard Lemma guide

terrifically

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: T ER0 IH1 F IH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a terrific or extreme way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • "The test was terrifically hard," said the tired student.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

(used as an intensifier) extremely well

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her voice is superbly disciplined
  • the colors changed wondrously slowly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wonderfully, wondrous, wondrously, superbly, toppingly, marvellously, marvelously

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin terrificusder. French terrifiqueder. English terrific Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Middle English -ly Middle English -ally English -ally English terrifically From terrific + -ally.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: formidablement — Translations
  • French: fantastiquement — Translations