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 host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As a kid, she’d been terrified of the jeoseung saja of Korean folklore, Grim Reaper–esque ushers into the afterlife.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
In 2024, the stadium hosted the CONMEBOL Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, which nearly ended in tragedy after a massive wave of fans flooded the venue, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security guards struggled to contain them.
—Hunter Geisel, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
Continue reading … KEVIN WALLING – Why 2026 should terrify Republicans after Tennessee special election.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
As a kid, she’d been terrified of the jeoseung saja of Korean folklore, Grim Reaper–esque ushers into the afterlife.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
In 2024, the stadium hosted the CONMEBOL Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, which nearly ended in tragedy after a massive wave of fans flooded the venue, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security guards struggled to contain them.
—Hunter Geisel, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
Continue reading … KEVIN WALLING – Why 2026 should terrify Republicans after Tennessee special election.
—FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
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 Dec. 2025.
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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