Etymology

terrific

te·rri·fic
T1E1R1R1I1F4I1C3

Today it means: Causing terror; terrifying. Full definition →

First used 17th c.French terrifique ← Latin terrificus ← Proto-Italic *θakos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*tres-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*troséyeti
  3. Proto-Italic*troseō
  4. Latinterreō
  5. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  6. Proto-Italic*θakos
  7. Latinterrificus
  8. Frenchterrifique
  9. English todayterrific

From French terrifique, and its source, Latin terrificus (“terrifying”), from terrēre (“to frighten, terrify”) + -ficus, related to facere (“to make”). By surface analysis, terrify + -ic. The sense of excellent or amazing is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of terrifying. Compare similar semantic development in sick and wicked.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 17th c. Causing terror; terrifying.
  • from 18th c. Very strong or intense; excessive, tremendous.
  • from 19th c. Extremely good; excellent, amazing.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.