Terrific
adj.joyful, capableeveryday
What it means
Extremely good, enjoyable, or impressive.
Reach for it when offering enthusiastic everyday praise for a result, experience, or person
The apprentices did a terrific job restoring the damaged mosaic.
Choose between these
9- playful
when high enthusiasm suits an informal exchange
not when Fantastic can feel exaggerated in an evaluation or condolence.
- everyday
when intelligence or striking success is being celebrated
not when Brilliant overstates work that is simply very enjoyable or well executed.
- everyday
when broad, relaxed approval is enough
not when Great is less vivid and can become empty if the achievement needs precise recognition.
- warm
when pleasure and appreciation matter more than measured quality
not when Wonderful can be emotionally generous without identifying strong performance.
- professional
when high quality deserves confident neutral praise
not when Excellent is less exuberant and may sound like a formal rating.
- professional
when the result earns admiration through difficulty or scale
not when Impressive may be cool or awed rather than genuinely enjoyable.
- formal
when ranking quality near the top can be supported
not when First-rate sounds evaluative and less affectionate than terrific.
- formal
when exceptional craft or execution warrants polished praise
not when Superb is too elevated for a small friendly success.
- literary
when bright, old-fashioned approval fits the voice
not when Splendid can sound theatrical or dated.
Said against
3- terrible
- poor
- mediocre
It naturally appears in
3- terrific job
The crew did a terrific job preserving the nesting area during repairs.
- terrific idea
A terrific idea becomes useful only after someone tests its assumptions.
- feel terrific
After a full week of rest, she began to feel terrific again.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English adjective informal sense: excellent or very good opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.