plural terrors
1
: a state of intense or overwhelming fear
overcome by terror
people fleeing the scene in terror
He lived in terror of being caught.
2
: violence or the threat of violence used as a weapon of intimidation or coercion
a regime that rules by terror
especially
: violent or destructive acts (such as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands
an act of terror
the war on terror
—sometimes used before another noun a terror attack
3
: a very frightening or terrifying aspect
the terrors of war
4
a
: someone or something that inspires fear : scourge
I stood before fierce Mrs. Mabel Johnston, his secretary and the terror of the office.—
Russell Baker
Russell BakerBefore rifles were available to Eskimo hunters, bears were truly the terror of their existence.—Charles T. Feazel
Charles T. Feazel
b
informal
: an extremely disruptive or annoying person or thing
5
Examples of terror in a Sentence
The sound of guns being fired fills me with terror.
Many civilians fled in terror.
a terror that is still fresh in her memory
the terrors of life in the jungle
a regime that rules by terror
bombings and other acts of terror
These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror for many years.
a campaign of terror against ethnic minority groups
Recent Examples on the Web
In that darkness of rape and degradation, that fine, flying froth and mist of blood, through all that terror and in all that helplessness, a living soul moved and refused to die….
—Eddie S. Glaude Jr., TIME, 27 Apr. 2024
The 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park transformed the public’s perception of dinosaurs, propelling the velociraptor to the forefront of terror.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
It's been more than six months since Hamas militants entered Israel in a surprise terror attack on Oct. 7, killing over 1,200 people and abducting some 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
—Zoe Magee, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
On the 1990s-era internet, the killers left behind their plans of violent terror – like threats and bomb-building instructions – as well as the personal minutiae of teenage life, like playing the first-person shooter game Doom.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Lee Smith gives up all the people, those suffering the same terrors in Civil War, for one person — her younger Self.
—Eisa Nefertari Ulen, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
The conflict started with Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,200 people and sparked Israel’s bloody incursion into the Gaza Strip that has since killed nearly 34,000 people, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
—Matt Bradley, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Other signs of a panic attack include trembling, intense terror, and an overwhelming sense of doom.16
Causes and Risk Factors
A heart attack happens if the flow of blood that brings oxygen to the heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
Paradoxically, though, it could be argued that the American war on terror redeemed or even reconstituted the human-rights community in the U.S.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
Eddie S. Glaude Jr., TIME, 27 Apr. 2024
The 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park transformed the public’s perception of dinosaurs, propelling the velociraptor to the forefront of terror.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
It's been more than six months since Hamas militants entered Israel in a surprise terror attack on Oct. 7, killing over 1,200 people and abducting some 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
—Zoe Magee, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024
On the 1990s-era internet, the killers left behind their plans of violent terror – like threats and bomb-building instructions – as well as the personal minutiae of teenage life, like playing the first-person shooter game Doom.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Lee Smith gives up all the people, those suffering the same terrors in Civil War, for one person — her younger Self.
—Eisa Nefertari Ulen, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
The conflict started with Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,200 people and sparked Israel’s bloody incursion into the Gaza Strip that has since killed nearly 34,000 people, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
—Matt Bradley, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Other signs of a panic attack include trembling, intense terror, and an overwhelming sense of doom.16
Causes and Risk Factors
A heart attack happens if the flow of blood that brings oxygen to the heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked.
—Yuliya Klochan, Health, 14 Apr. 2024
Paradoxically, though, it could be argued that the American war on terror redeemed or even reconstituted the human-rights community in the U.S.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terror.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to terror
Dictionary Entries Near terror
Cite this Entry
“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terror
noun
ter·ror
ˈter-ər 
1
: a state of great fear
2
: a cause of great fear
3
: a dreadful person or thing
especially
: an unruly child
4
: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by a group as a way of achieving its goals
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share