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
We might be terrified of it and not want to recognize our own mortality.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
The school attack, which terrified students and parents, capped a violent spree that left at least three people dead and more than a dozen others wounded across the city.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Many are terrified of disrupting themselves.
—S.w. Miliano, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The actor was initially terrified he would get fired from the set two weeks into shooting.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
The school attack, which terrified students and parents, capped a violent spree that left at least three people dead and more than a dozen others wounded across the city.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Many are terrified of disrupting themselves.
—S.w. Miliano, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
The actor was initially terrified he would get fired from the set two weeks into shooting.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Aug. 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 10 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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