terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī 
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying
1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
b
: deter, intimidate
2
: to fill with terror
Examples of terrify in a Sentence
The thought of dying alone terrifies her.
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Recent Examples on the Web
The loud noises terrify many dogs and cats into running away — which is easier with more doors opening during parties.
—
Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The women on the ward were terrified by the sudden invasion of masked people.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
As a result, foreign students across the U.S. are censoring themselves, and immigrant workers are terrified of calling out labor abuses for fear of deportation.
—Sonali Kolhatkar, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Depression-era Hollywood was terrified of losing everything.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
The women on the ward were terrified by the sudden invasion of masked people.
—Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
As a result, foreign students across the U.S. are censoring themselves, and immigrant workers are terrified of calling out labor abuses for fear of deportation.
—Sonali Kolhatkar, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Depression-era Hollywood was terrified of losing everything.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
adverb
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
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