✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying
Synonyms of terrifynext

transitive verb

1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Continue reading … KEVIN WALLING – Why 2026 should terrify Republicans after Tennessee special election. FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025 Carr, a comedian and presenter best known for hosting the talk show Chatty Man from 2009 to 2017, started off The Celebrity Traitors terrified, shaking and sweating under the emotional weight of the Traitor’s cloak. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025 Online reactions were equally scattered, some amazed, others terrified. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Dec. 2025 Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat. Nbc Los Angeles, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terrify

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrify was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

terrify

verb
ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on terrify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!