Definition of terrify
terrified
;terrifying
transitive verb
1a : to drive or impel by menacing : scareb : deter, intimidate
2 : to fill with terror
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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 of terrify from the Web
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John Robert Lindsey made a properly evil Monostatos (a dead ringer for the vampire Nosferatu), accompanied by terrifying dogs rather than slaves.
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The idea of being separated from her kids terrifies Brown.
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Usry remembers being terrified, spending days holed up at home worried what police would do next.
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The Arctic also stores terrifying bugs from more recent times.
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Even parents of sick adults are terrified about the possibility of a change in the health insurance rules.
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What has patient advocates and hospital groups terrified is that its Medicaid agreement with the federal government lapses in December, setting up high-stakes negotiations with the Trump administration over an extension.
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Another told me her son was terrified because Buster would corner him, bark loudly, and steal food out of his hands.
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He was terrified of roller coasters as a teenager, but races are different.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terrify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of terrify
Latin terrificare, from terrificus
TERRIFY Defined for English Language Learners
terrify
playDefinition of terrify for English Language Learners
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: to cause (someone) to be extremely afraid : to frighten (someone) very much
TERRIFY Defined for Kids
terrify
playDefinition of terrify for Students
terrified
;terrifying
: to cause (someone) to become very frightened
Learn More about terrify
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See words that rhyme with terrify Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for terrify Spanish Central: Translation of terrify Nglish: Translation of terrify for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of terrify for Arabic speakers
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