Terrific did not begin life as a compliment. It comes from the Latin terrificus, meaning “that which causes terror,” built from terrere (to frighten) and facere (to make). When the word entered English in the seventeenth century, a terrific event was something that rattled the nerves, a violent storm, a massive explosion, a spectacle that inspired equal parts awe and a strong desire to be elsewhere. To call something terrific was not praise; it was closer to saying it was alarming, overwhelming, and slightly too much for polite company. If you had told a woman in 1700 that she looked terrific, you might have found yourself dueling with her father or brother… or both.
The word began to lose its edge because people kept borrowing it for emphasis instead of accuracy. Speakers like dramatic language, and words associated with danger and awe make ordinary experiences sound more vivid. A crowd could have a terrific roar, a horse a terrific turn of speed, an argument a terrific force of personality, not because anyone was frightened, but because the word delivered punch. Repetition dulled the original sense of fear, leaving behind only intensity and impact, and from there it was a short slide into praise. Fear ran home instead, and terrific settled into its modern role as a cheerful synonym for “Excellent.” Thus, “Be Terrific to Each Other” also means “Be Excellent to Each Other” as per Abraham Lincoln.
That shift can still trip people up. When I once used terrific to describe how monstrous a werewolf was, a terrific howl, I was told I was using the word incorrectly. I knew I was violating modern expectations, but the choice was deliberate; I wanted the older, sharper meaning for shock value. In the end, my beta readers reminded me often enough that language lives where readers are, not where dictionaries once were, and I changed the word to something safer. The moment neatly illustrated the problem: terrific still technically means what it used to, but only in the sense that a retired admiral still technically outranks me as a Navy veteran.
Note: Awesome, fantastic, and amazing have followed the same path, words that once carried fear, unreality, or alarm, now pressed into service as everyday praise. English has a habit of turning thunder into polite applause.
Tom Bont's Silver Key 