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 painting is assumed to depict the Greek myth of a Titan who eats his own offspring, terrified that one of his children will overthrow him.
—
Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
It was made that much worse when several cast members laughed at her insincerity and Maddi Reese interrupted it several times because there was a stray cat nearby that terrified her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 May 2026
As for anyone still terrified by the puppet?
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
The family faced another painful choice Back with their mother, Majda’s daughters were terrified at any talk of going back to their husbands.
—Toqa Ezzidin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
It was made that much worse when several cast members laughed at her insincerity and Maddi Reese interrupted it several times because there was a stray cat nearby that terrified her.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 May 2026
As for anyone still terrified by the puppet?
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
The family faced another painful choice Back with their mother, Majda’s daughters were terrified at any talk of going back to their husbands.
—Toqa Ezzidin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 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 2 Jun. 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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