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
The latest episode featured Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) continuing his horrific hobby of terrifying the town's children, feeling unstoppable after escaping capture.
—
Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
As a child, he must be terrified.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As a kid, she’d been terrified of the jeoseung saja of Korean folklore, Grim Reaper–esque ushers into the afterlife.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
As a child, he must be terrified.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As a kid, she’d been terrified of the jeoseung saja of Korean folklore, Grim Reaper–esque ushers into the afterlife.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 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 22 Dec. 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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