Differences of Terrible, Terrified and Terrific in English

Terrible, Terrified and Terrific are all adjectives with the common prefix "Terri", but these three words have completely different usage. In this article, PREP will help you understand the definitions, words/phrases associated with them, and the differences between Terrible, Terrified and Terrific. Read now!

I. What is Terrible?

According to the Cambridge and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Terrible is pronounced as /ˈter.ə.bəl/. Terrible acts as an adjective, meaning:

• Very unpleasant; making you feel very unhappy, upset, or frightened. For example: The weather was terrible. 
• Very bad at doing something. For example: Your driving is terrible! 
• Causing great harm or injury; very serious. For example: He had suffered terrible injuries. 

Words/phrases associated with Terrible:

Some synonyms for Terrible:

II. What is Terrified?

According to the Cambridge and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Terrified is pronounced as /ˈter.ə.faɪd/. Terrified acts as an adjective, meaning: very frightened. For example:

• Peter huddled in the corner like a terrified child. 
• I'm terrified of the dark. 

Structure of Terrified:

III. What is Terrific?

According to the Cambridge and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Terrific is pronounced as/təˈrɪf.ɪk/. Terrific acts as an adjective, meaning: excellent; wonderful/ very large; very great. For example:

• The police car drove past at a terrific speed. 
• Kate looks absolutely terrific tonight. 

Synonyms for Terrific:

IV. Differences of Terrible, Terrified and Terrific

Let's explore the differences between Terrible, Terrified and Terrific right below with PREP!

V. Exercise to differentiate Terrible, Terrified and Terrific

To distinguish between Terrible, Terrified and Terrific, please complete the exercise below!

Exercise: Choose the correct answer: Terrible, Terrific or Terrified

1. The weather turned _______, with heavy rain.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
2. The accident caused _______ damage to the car.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
3. The sudden loud noise made the hikers feel _______.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
4. The horror movie was so intense that it left the audience _______.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
5. The team put in a _______ effort and won the championship game.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
6. Despite facing challenges, the project had a _______ outcome.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
7. Anna felt _______ when walking alone in the dark alley.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
8. The _______ news of the natural disaster left the community in shock.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
9. Meeting my favorite author in person was a _______ experience.
   1. Terrible
   2. Terrified
   3. Terrific 
10. My baby was _______ of spiders.
    1. Terrible
    2. Terrified
    3. Terrific 

Answer:

1. A
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. C
6. C
7. B
8. A
9. C
10. B

PREP hopes that through this article, you have grasped the definitions, usages, and differentiation of Terrible, Terrified, and Terrific. Keep following PREP to stay updated on more English grammar knowledge! Wishing you success!