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 The Anti-Defamation League has documented a dramatic rise in acts of hate targeting Jewish people in the U.S. since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel. Luke Barr, ABC News, 6 June 2025 President Donald Trump has reinstated and expanded a travel ban targeting citizens from 12 countries, citing national security concerns following a recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 The group that he is accused of attacking was demonstrating to call for the release of Israeli hostages from the Palestinian terror group Hamas. Dan Mangan, CNBC, 4 June 2025 Just 12 hours after entering a pitch-black, 400-square-foot cabin dug into the hillside in southern Oregon, crypto founder Charles Hoskinson fled in terror. Mattha Busby, Wired News, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for terror
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terror
Noun
  • The trailer certainly paints a trippy picture of a high-tech near-future that veers into nightmare territory, as so many games in the Black Ops franchise tend to do, slipping between missions in the real-world and a psychedelic dream-world filled with demons and other nightmares.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Months before, Stevens feared President Johnson was pursuing a Reconstruction program that would readmit Confederate states to the Union without them exorcising the demon that animated secession.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Such a low number spurred fears the ongoing trade war may finally be starting to affect the economy’s hard data.
    Paolo Confino, Fortune, 4 June 2025
  • Exploiting this vulnerability, 764 members tend to elicit fear by threatening to share a victim’s explicit or harmful content with family and friends or publicly online, ultimately forcing them to comply with their demands.
    Alex Vance, Parents, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Women, in particular, have reported a harrowing array of abuses: invasive searches, threats to their children, forced nudity and psychological torment.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
  • His independent investigations lead him to a supernatural serial killer (Harry Treadaway), who will seemingly stop at nothing to torment Hodges.
    EW.com, EW.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • He’s been with the UK dating show ever since the beginning, and when word spread that Iain Stirling was leaving Love Island UK, many fans went into panic.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 9 June 2025
  • Not knowing the new rules, there always is definitely a total panic and paranoia all the time.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • Looming over his studies and extracurriculars is a singular dread.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025
  • Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don’t know how to fill their kids’ long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terror. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on terror

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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