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
In that episode, the college football fans are terrified to find themselves in Pro Town, a place where people go to yoga on Saturdays.
—
Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
—Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
There are children that are terrified of their lives being destroyed in a moment.
—EW.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Undocumented workers are terrified right now.
—Jenn Tardy, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Kristi Dosh, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Murillo recalled a Cuban grandmother whose grandchildren were terrified to go to school after their father was detained in front of them at their own home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
—Miami Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
There are children that are terrified of their lives being destroyed in a moment.
—EW.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Undocumented workers are terrified right now.
—Jenn Tardy, Time, 10 Sep. 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 Sep. 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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