terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī 

ˈte-rə-

terrified; terrifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to drive or impel by menacing : scare

b

: deter, intimidate

2

: to fill with terror

Synonyms of terrify

• frighten
• scare
• startle

Examples of terrify in a Sentence

The thought of dying alone terrifies her.

the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me

Recent Examples on the Web

To be arrested for doing my job, to have agents come to my home and terrify my three children, is something that’s going to take our family a long time to recover from. —Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026

There are things to be terrified of. —Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026

Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026

What terrifies Iran’s theocrats the most, the fear that eclipses all their fears, is the ability of the people at large to clearly see the essential realities of the present regime. —Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for terrify

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

Kids Definition

terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī 

terrified; terrifying

: to fill with terror

terrifyingly

-ˌfī-iŋ-lē

adverb