terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī 
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying
1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
b
: deter, intimidate
2
: to fill with terror
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
Patrick could move there tomorrow, but Russell has to be terrified of every sound.
—
Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Viewers are also introduced to Marjorie (Blair Beeken), the activities lead at Oak Canyon Ranch, as well as Rockin’ Grandma’s sole remote worker, web designer Claire (Rachel Kaly), who appears to be terrified by the sun and wholly unnerved by other human beings.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Viewers are also introduced to Marjorie (Blair Beeken), the activities lead at Oak Canyon Ranch, as well as Rockin’ Grandma’s sole remote worker, web designer Claire (Rachel Kaly), who appears to be terrified by the sun and wholly unnerved by other human beings.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
—Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
adverb
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
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