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
Monitor was always meant to be experienced with a room full of people being terrified together.
—
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Directed by Lee Sang-min, the film stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won as a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
No matter who was in charge, the Miami Dolphins franchise have been terrified of quarterback competition for nearly two decades, and that might explain why South Florida’s NFL franchise hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Outcome focuses on a Hollywood star terrified of being canceled.
—Josh Spiegel, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Justin Kroll, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
Directed by Lee Sang-min, the film stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jong-won as a road-view camera crew that encounters terrifying supernatural events at a remote reservoir.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026
No matter who was in charge, the Miami Dolphins franchise have been terrified of quarterback competition for nearly two decades, and that might explain why South Florida’s NFL franchise hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Outcome focuses on a Hollywood star terrified of being canceled.
—Josh Spiegel, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 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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