horrify

verb

hor·​ri·​fy ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce horrify (audio)
ˈhär-
horrified; horrifying
Synonyms of horrifynext

transitive verb

1
: to cause to feel horror
2
: to fill with distaste : shock
horrifyingly
ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī-iŋ-lē How to pronounce horrify (audio)
ˈhär-
adverb

Synonyms of horrify

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for horrify

dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.

dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.

dismayed at the size of the job

appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.

I am appalled by your behavior

horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.

was horrified by such wanton cruelty

daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.

a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber

Examples of horrify in a Sentence

The details of the crime horrified the nation. They were horrified by the movie's violence.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
To my surprise, though, a lot of the commenters were, um, horrified? — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 31 July 2026 The daughter of the Laestrygonians, whose scream summons the gigantic knights, is horrified to see men from the sea. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026 Watching how the United States treats detainees horrifies many Canadians, said Julia Sande, an immigration attorney with Amnesty International. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Moments later, as gunfire erupts, the video appears to show Freytes running back inside clutching his chest before collapsing to the floor as horrified customers look on. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for horrify

Word History

Etymology

probably from horri(fic) + -fy

Note: Given the late appearance of the word, it is most likely not a borrowing from Latin horrificāre "to ruffle the surface of, frighten, terrify."

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of horrify was in 1791

Rhymes for horrify

See All Rhymes for horrify

Browse Nearby Words

horrification
horrify
horrifyingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horrify. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

horrify

verb
hor·​ri·​fy ˈhȯr-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce horrify (audio)
ˈhär-
horrified; horrifying
: to cause to feel horror

More from Merriam-Webster on horrify

Nglish: Translation of horrify for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

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

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All