TERRIFY Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

terrify

verb

ˈter-ə-ˌfī

Definition of terrify

as in to frighten

to strike with fear the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of terrify The new season has ended up with a plethora of new faces to terrify viewers, including more recent Murphy collaborators like Paul Anthony Kelly and Joey Pollari and complete newcomers like Alex Consani and Madelaine Petsch. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 Though the real Lizzie Borden’s periods weren’t out of the ordinary, periods in general terrified the men of the day, who believed that menstruation could cause women to commit crimes. — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026 Elizabeth Pizzo was terrified earlier this year of what would happen to her son. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026 William James almost eerily comfortable in situations that terrify everyone around him. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrify

Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrify

Verb

Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
But Cardinale acknowledged layoffs would be part of the cost-cuts, a prospect that frightened many in Hollywood after endless waves of job cuts at the two companies.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of frighten

Verb

Kennedy, who was an anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has sent mixed messages to Americans about getting the measles vaccine, scares her.

— Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Labaugh says her husband tried to scare the bear away by pounding on the door connected to the garage from inside the house.

— Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of scare

Verb

To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of startle

Browse Nearby Words

terrifies

terrify

terrifying

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrify. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of terrify

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

discreet

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes