very great or intense
"a terrific noise"
"a terrific thunderstorm storm"
"fought a terrific battle"
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
"a fantastic trip to the Orient"
"the film was fantastic!"
"a howling success"
"a marvelous collection of rare books"
"had a rattling conversation about politics"
"a tremendous achievement"
Terrifying, causing terror; terrible; sublime, awe-inspiring.
"The climbers stood in terrified silence as they faced the terrific height of the sheer cliff face."
In plain English: Terrific means extremely good, amazing, or wonderful.
"The weather was terrific for our picnic today."
Usage: In modern everyday English, terrific means excellent or wonderful rather than terrifying. Use it to express strong approval of something impressive, as in a terrific performance.
The word terrific originally meant "terrifying," coming from French and Latin roots related to fear. Over time, its meaning shifted to describe something excellent or amazing through a process called amelioration.