why are terrible and horrible basically the same thing but horrific and terrific are basically the opposite

Question

English will never be something I fully understand

In: 9830

Answer 1

“Terrific” used to be a synonym for “terrible”, but over the years, it became an antonym. As recently as 1937, “terrific” was still used in its original sense (listen to Herbert Morrison’s radio broadcast of the Hindenburg disaster as it unfolded).