terror

Synonym Chooser

How is the word terror distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of terror are alarm, dread, fear, fright, panic, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

When is it sensible to use alarm instead of terror?

The words alarm and terror are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

When might dread be a better fit than terror?

While in some cases nearly identical to terror, dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When can fear be used instead of terror?

The words fear and terror can be used in similar contexts, but fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

In what contexts can fright take the place of terror?

While the synonyms fright and terror are close in meaning, fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

Where would panic be a reasonable alternative to terror?

The synonyms panic and terror are sometimes interchangeable, but panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of terror?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

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 terror But the ground has shifted in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, particularly among younger voters. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025 To help the crew survive—or meet their untimely demise–players’ choices in terms of relationship building and skills at evading other terrors that roam the planet determine where the story takes you. Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 19 June 2025 Some had cheered the killings of certain repressive military figures in the early hours of the strikes, but the mood has since turned to terror, the priority simple survival. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025 Six of the injured in what federal officials have described as a terror attack were from the same synagogue, Bonai Shalom. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for terror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terror
Noun
  • Things become complicated when a popular rival boy band, The Saja Boys, are revealed to be demons.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
  • Despite decades away from the musical mainstream in the 1970s and '80s, when his psychological demons were most aggressive, Wilson's towering impact was never in question.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • As the threat of more strikes continues to fuel fears in Israel, the residents of Tamra are left feeling anxious.
    Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 16 June 2025
  • Farms and food packaging companies were scrambling to find replacement workers after dozens were snatched and others stayed home out of fear.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • This need is the source of her personal torment and also her power.
    Kerry Howley, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The real torments have been so glazed over, many poems resemble old paintings lost beneath a dozen layers of varnish.
    William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • An earlier 2019 study in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance found turbulence, unfamiliar aircraft noises, and the threat of terror attacks were among the top anxiety triggers.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
  • Too much attention, often understandably driven by shareholder and financial analyst anxiety, is being placed on the lagging indicators of current performance.
    Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • Yet rather than panic, creators have been quick to adapt.
    Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Yet the faces and the fashions, not to mention the paranoia and the panic, feel very Seventies.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • The fear is more like a soft surge of dread, as if my synapses had been been rewired to the thrusting strings of John Williams' famous theme.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • Feelings on the ground range from dread to determination.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terror. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on terror

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