horrify

verb hor·ri·fy \ ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī , ˈhär- \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

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Examples: horrify in a Sentence

Definition of horrify

horrified; horrifying

transitive verb

1 : to cause to feel horror

2 : to fill with distaste : shock

—

horrifyingly

play \ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī-iŋ-lē, ˈhär-\ adverb

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Examples of horrify in a Sentence

The details of the crime horrified the nation.
They were horrified by the movie's violence.

Recent Examples of horrify from the Web

Though horrified by these allegations, many continue to pray for him.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Father Faucher's fall from grace: Child porn charges mar a legacy of service," 3 June 2018
Anyone who has lived in a humid location is probably well-acquainted with these flying, horrifying monsters.

— katie holley, SELF, "I Went to the ER with a Live Roach in My Ear and It Was as Horrifying as You Think," 30 Apr. 2018
Each has its origins in the imagination of a writer wondering what would happen if troubling present-day elements took horrifying wrong turns.

— cleveland.com, "Engaged? How bucking tradition can help you save big," 22 Apr. 2018
Erasmus was horrified — horrified at the violence of Luther’s certitude, horrified at the violence his certitude bred within Christendom.

— rebecca newberger goldstein, New York Times, "Erasmus vs. Luther — a Rift That Defined the Course of Western Civilization," 29 Mar. 2018
Upon enrolling, she was horrified by the disrespect that caseworkers showed her and others.

— livia gershon, Longreads, "The Prosperity Plea," 30 May 2018
Many of them are horrified by the president, which wasn’t a huge surprise.

— nicholas zimmerman, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Washington Insiders Decide to Leak," 16 May 2018
Meanwhile, upstairs in juvenile court, judges horrified at the case have refused to take any more peace-circle kids until the entire process — from selecting candidates, to defining success, failure and its consequences — is set down on paper.

— claudia rowe, The Seattle Times, "King County sticks with peace circles for juvenile crime, even after a murder charge," 13 Apr. 2018
As the fire consumed everything — and everyone — in its path, onlookers were horrified at the sight of dozens of young women crowding onto the rickety fire escape looking desperately for an exit.

— kim kelly, Teen Vogue, "Demonstrators Remembered the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'horrify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of horrify

1791

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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horrify Synonyms

Phrases

give one the creeps, make one's flesh creep (or crawl);

Synonym Discussion of 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.