Is Terrific a Positive Word?

Today, we still use "terrific" in this negative, terrifying sense, as when we speak of a "terrific explosion." But during the 20th century, "terrific" took on an additional, more positive meaning: "unusually fine, magnificent, splendid."

Is terrific a compliment?

If you describe something or someone as terrific, you are very pleased with them or very impressed by them.

Why is terrific a good word?

The positive "terrific" dates to the slang-heavy flapper era, where "killer" also became a playful positive. "Egregious," a word that made the opposite crossing from positive to negative (it used to mean notable, excellent), also appears to have arisen from an ironic use.