terrify

verb

ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying
Synonyms of terrifynext

transitive verb

1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
b
: deter, intimidate
2
: to fill with terror

Synonyms of terrify

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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
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.
Cristobal and the Canes are crushing recruiting by every conceivable metric, which should terrify the rest of the country. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026 What for decades seemed a hypothetical problem to be solved at some later date is suddenly a concrete, terrifying one for today. — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 Selling meant losing all of that in one signature, and some deep, unspoken part of her was terrified of what came next. — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 In a case like the Davis stabbings that terrified a community, there might have been a public outcry if former Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig hadn’t charged Dominguez with murder, Reichel said. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrify

Word History

Etymology

Latin terrificare, from terrificus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrify was in the 15th century

Rhymes for terrify

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Browse Nearby Words

terrifically
terrify
terrifying
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Cite this Entry

“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

terrify

verb
ter·​ri·​fy ˈter-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce terrify (audio)
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on terrify

Nglish: Translation of terrify for Spanish Speakers

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