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 air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.
—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
Jim was a teenager at the time, terrified of his abusive old man and roped into assisting him, along with his brother John Jr.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Pic was written and directed by horror filmmaker Ian Tuason, and follows the host (Nina Kiri) of a popular paranormal podcast who becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
Jim was a teenager at the time, terrified of his abusive old man and roped into assisting him, along with his brother John Jr.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
Mice know cats can smell them, and cats emit chemicals that terrify mice.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Pic was written and directed by horror filmmaker Ian Tuason, and follows the host (Nina Kiri) of a popular paranormal podcast who becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 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 17 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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