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

At another level, there does seem to be something absurd and even terrifying about the idea that someone who is not elected can become the leader of a country and then will be recognized as the leader of that country and receive the immunities afforded to heads of state. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026

By 2025, she was terrified that her teenage daughters would be killed by a driver on their walk home from school. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 1 Jan. 2026

The Predator monster has terrified audiences for more than 35 years, but in the story's prequel and fifth installment, the tables turn and the monster becomes the prey. —Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025

Companies are terrified that early-stage AI will disappoint their end customers. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for terrify

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

Kids Definition

terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī 

terrified; terrifying

: to fill with terror

terrifyingly

-ˌfī-iŋ-lē

adverb