horrify

verb

hor·​ri·​fy ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī 

ˈhär-

horrified; horrifying

transitive verb

1

: to cause to feel horror

2

: to fill with distaste : shock

horrifyingly

ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī-iŋ-lē 

ˈhär-

adverb

Synonyms

• frighten
• terrify
• scare
• startle

Choose the Right Synonym for horrify

dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.

dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Examples of horrify in a Sentence

The details of the crime horrified the nation.

They were horrified by the movie's violence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Based on the first novella in Martha Wells’ book series, Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients, played by Alexander Skarsgård. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 July 2025

Animal lovers were moved and horrified by the rescue of a tiny orange kitten, found with a broken glass jar around his neck. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025

Cotton, who lost his shins in World War II, tries to impress his warped ideas about women and domesticity on Bobby, whose receptiveness to it eventually horrifies Hank. —Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025

The murders shocked the campus community and horrified the residents of Moscow, a quiet college town in northern Idaho that hadn't reported a murder in five years. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from horri(fic) + -fy

Note: Given the late appearance of the word, it is most likely not a borrowing from Latin horrificāre "to ruffle the surface of, frighten, terrify."

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for horrify

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

horrify

verb

hor·​ri·​fy ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī 

ˈhär-

horrified; horrifying

: to cause to feel horror