terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying

transitive verb

1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, other homebuyers are terrified that the government shutdown may derail their homeownership dreams altogether. Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 Jesus may haunt Wendell, but Wendell terrifies Lee. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025 The brigade of heavily armed cops terrified the kids, causing Cooper to take stock of police tactics deployed in service of nabbing people who might be no more than casual pot smokers. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 Hollywood has arguably played a role in helping keep the world rightly terrified of nukes for the last 80 years. James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terrify

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrify was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

terrify

verb
ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on terrify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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