基本含义
可怕/骇人：指事物外表或力量引发的恐惧感，如"terrific explosion"（骇人的爆炸）[1][5]
极大程度：强调强度或数量，常见搭配如terrific speed（极速）、terrific heat（高温）[4][6]
积极评价：在口语中表示极佳状态，如"terrific performance"（精彩表演）[3][4]
语义演变
原始词义"恐怖的"源自拉丁语terrificus（使惊恐）[5]
19世纪起衍生出"极度的"引申义[1][5][7]
20世纪中期发展出"极好的"口语化用法[4]
非正式语境：多用于日常交流表达赞誉，如"a terrific view"（绝佳景观）[4]
程度修饰语：与具体名词组合强调极端性，例"terrific pressure"（巨大压力）[6]
情感色彩：需通过上下文区分褒贬，如"terrific scene"既可指令人毛骨悚然的景象，也可表极好的景象[1][5]
与fantastic的异同：
共同点：均可表达"极好的"含义[7]
差异点：
terrific更侧重强度/规模的极端性[1][4][5][6][7]
fantastic突出幻想式完美特质[7]
四六级考试：重点考察"极好的"与"极大的"词义辨析[2]
剑桥英语：B1级别要求掌握非正式用法，C1级别需理解强调性用法[4]
考研真题：曾出现"terrific enthusiasm"（极大热情）的短语搭配[6]
I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我现在充满了活力，感觉棒极了。
Then the hair began to grow again and I felt terrific. 接着头发又长起来了，我感觉棒极了。
He had a terrific sense of humour and could be very amusing. 他有极好的幽默感，能非常搞笑。
We had a terrific start to the season, but recently we've been inconsistent. 我们在本赛季的开头极好，但最近时好时坏。
I tell him every day that I love him very much and that he is terrific. 我每天都告诉他我爱他，他棒极了。
That the pair won when their rivals were terrific too is also impressive. 这对搭档在他们的对手也很棒的情况下获胜，这也令人印象深刻。
There are some terrific programs out there, but they're still too far and few between. 有一些很棒的项目，但它们之间仍然还是相隔太远且较少。
He imagines giving up that terrific drive towards imagination and idealization and a return to the "rag and bone shop of the heart". 他想象着放弃那种可怕的对想象力和理想化的追求，回到“污秽的心的废品铺”。
It's worth remembering, however, that though a clean copy fresh off a printer may look terrific, it will read only as well as the thinking and writing that have gone into it. 然而，值得记住的是，尽管刚从打印机上打印出来的干净复印件看起来很棒，但它的阅读效果和里面的思考书写效果一样好。
I feel absolutely terrific today! 我今天的感觉真是好极了！
She's doing a terrific job. 她活儿干得真棒。
She gave the ball a terrific belt. 她猛击了一下球。
We drove along at a terrific speed. 我们以极快的速度驱车行驶。
Wow! You look terrific! 哇！你的样子太酷了！
I've got a terrific amount of work to do. 我有大量的工作要做。
The ceiling came down with a terrific crash. 随着一声可怕的巨响，天花板塌了下来。
He is a terrific athlete and a brilliant jumper. 他是一名优秀的运动员和一位杰出的跳跃者。
If we ever get married we'll have one terrific wedding. 如果我们结婚，我们会举办一场盛大的婚礼。
Sue let out a terrific shriek and leapt out of the way. 苏发出一声恐怖的尖叫，跳了出来。
All of a sudden there was a terrific bang and a flash of smoke. 忽然发出一声巨响，还冒出一股烟。
There is a great sense of occasion and a terrific standard of musicianship. 有一种非常盛大隆重的感觉，音乐演奏的水准也极高。
She is known to have a terrific figure. 大家都知道她身材很好。
I think it looks terrific on you, really. 我觉得你穿起来棒极了，真的。
English was his first language and he always had a terrific ear. 英语是他的第一语言，而且他的听力一直很好。
The Greeks were terrific. They achieved wonderful things. They were a miracle. 希腊人很了不起。他们实现了很多美好的事物。他们是个奇迹。
That's terrific. It would be great if you could get back in shape in time for the World Cup. 这很好。如果你能在世界杯前恢复健康那就太好了。
It's really a terrific Podcast, and he is a great guest, so please go to our website and listen to that. 这是个非常好的播客，他也是个不错的嘉宾，所以记得去我们的网站听听。
To deal with the rabbit problem, settlers introduced stoats — a member of the weasel clan and a terrific predator. 为了应对兔子的问题，定居者们引进了白鼬。 白鼬是黄鼠狼家族的一员——也是一个恐怖的掠食者。
That's depressing stuff, but we're not all doom and gloom around here, and some areas in the country have terrific Internet. 那真是令人沮丧的事，但我们并没有就此郁闷和消沉，因为这个国家另有一些地区具备极好的网络条件。
This machinery is so precise that a human hair couldn't even pass between the heads and spinning platters, yet it all works in terrific speeds. 这台机器是如此精确，以至于人类的头发甚至不能从头部和旋转的磁盘之间穿过，但它的运转速度却是惊人的。[8]