plural terrors
1
: a state of intense or overwhelming fear
overcome by terror
people fleeing the scene in terror
He lived in terror of being caught.
2
: violence or the threat of violence used as a weapon of intimidation or coercion
a regime that rules by terror
especially
: violent or destructive acts (such as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands
an act of terror
the war on terror
—sometimes used before another noun a terror attack
3
: a very frightening or terrifying aspect
the terrors of war
4
a
: someone or something that inspires fear : scourge
I stood before fierce Mrs. Mabel Johnston, his secretary and the terror of the office.—
Russell Baker
Russell BakerBefore rifles were available to Eskimo hunters, bears were truly the terror of their existence.—Charles T. Feazel
Charles T. Feazel
b
informal
: an extremely disruptive or annoying person or thing
5
Examples of terror in a Sentence
The sound of guns being fired fills me with terror.
Many civilians fled in terror.
a terror that is still fresh in her memory
the terrors of life in the jungle
a regime that rules by terror
bombings and other acts of terror
These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror for many years.
a campaign of terror against ethnic minority groups
Recent Examples on the Web
Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor who is associated with the Gaza Tribunal, admitted to conspiring to aid the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in 2006.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
Pearl, who is Jewish, has expressed his fervent support for Israel in the face of rising antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Gaza would be razed, much like Dresden or Hiroshima, in order to eliminate the danger of terror attacks on Israel coming from Gaza.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Rape or the threat of rape is also used to drive communities off lands or to heighten terror during attacks.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for terror
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
Pearl, who is Jewish, has expressed his fervent support for Israel in the face of rising antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Gaza would be razed, much like Dresden or Hiroshima, in order to eliminate the danger of terror attacks on Israel coming from Gaza.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Rape or the threat of rape is also used to drive communities off lands or to heighten terror during attacks.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for terror
Cite this Entry
“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terror
noun
ter·ror
ˈter-ər 
1
: a state of great fear
2
: a cause of great fear
3
a
: a dreadful person or thing
b
informal
: an unruly child
4
: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by a group as a way of achieving its goals
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