terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī 

ˈte-rə-

terrified; terrifying

transitive verb

1

a

: to drive or impel by menacing : scare

b

: deter, intimidate

2

: to fill with terror

Synonyms of terrify

• frighten
• scare
• startle

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

For Thomas, unpacking what went wrong goes well beyond the headless bodies, terrifying phone calls and dead ends. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Jurors in 2025 failed to reach verdicts in the case that terrified Davis in late April and early May 2023. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026

The first person confronted by Hughes appeared to be terrified. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Grissom told Storyful that he was terrified for his beloved pet, who had not left his side since his wife died five years ago. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for terrify

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī 

terrified; terrifying

: to fill with terror

terrifyingly

-ˌfī-iŋ-lē

adverb