“Terrible” can imply that one does something poorly. It can also be used to convey a sense of importance; that is, convey “extremely” or “very”. I’m wondering if any etymologists out there can explain why I can miss someone “terribly”. Shouldn’t I instead be missing someone “fantastically” or “terrifically”?
The OED attests the use of “terribly” as a general intensifier as early as 1604. The word has the same root as “terror,” so “terrible” apparently involved from something meaning “inspiring great fear” to the more general just “inspiring great [whatever].”
Well, “terrific” originally meant pretty much the same thing as “terrible”–both mean “inspiring great fear (terror)”. And “fantastic” comes from “fantasy”, and would originally have meant something more like “bizarre” or “otherworldly”, not just “very good” or "super keen"or whatever.
It’s pretty common for words in the English language to wind up being used as general intensifiers. (With “pretty” being another case in point, I suppose. Actually pretty has a rather tortuous etymology of its own.)
Yes. When you tell somebody she looks “terrific,” she no longer thinks you said she looks really scary. The language continues to change, as it always will. Someday, we might say, “thank you” when somebody says, “You look excruciating. Absolutely zam. Truly fetid.”
I am Oz, the Great and Terrible!