terrorize

verb

ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz 

terrorized; terrorizing

transitive verb

1

: to fill with terror or anxiety : scare

2

: to coerce by threat or violence

terrorization

ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of terrorize

• frighten
• scare
• terrify
• startle

Examples of terrorize in a Sentence

As a child she terrorized her younger siblings.

She was terrorized by nightmares.

Employees were terrorized into accepting abysmal working conditions.

Recent Examples on the Web

The random shooting spree killed 10 people and terrorized the entire Washington, DC, area for three weeks. — USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

On that day here at home, the country looked as if for the first time at every vulnerability, reorganizing local and state and federal government to do everything in our power to stop radical jihadists from terrorizing us again. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

That a Christian man was responsible for the devastation in Oklahoma City certainly didn’t matter to the thugs who terrorized a Muslim woman there, nearly seven months pregnant, by attacking her home, breaking her windows, screaming religious slurs. — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026

Doe joins a growing chorus of women who say they were privately terrorized by the country’s most famous union activist. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for terrorize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

terrorize

verb

ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz 

terrorized; terrorizing

1

: to fill with terror

2

: to force by threat or violence

terrorization

ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Legal Definition

terrorize

transitive verb

ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz 

terrorized; terrorizing

: to inflict terror upon

terrorization

ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun