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
Oh, this shot of Charity with three blonde dolls is terrifying.
—
Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 May 2025
So the thought of losing the house itself was also terrifying.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
Natural Human Limitations: Fear: Gorillas are terrifying; humans would likely be terrified.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The mysterious devastation swept across France, leaving vine growers terrified.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 May 2025
So the thought of losing the house itself was also terrifying.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
Natural Human Limitations: Fear: Gorillas are terrifying; humans would likely be terrified.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The mysterious devastation swept across France, leaving vine growers terrified.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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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