HORRIFIED Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

horrified 1 of 2

adjective

as in terrified

filled with fear or dread he sat rigid in his seat, horrified that the plane would crash

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horrified

2 of 2

verb

past tense of horrify

as in frightened

to strike with fear the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences

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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 horrified

Adjective

When Tae-ha starts a fire that erupts into an explosion, a horrified Eun-sae begins to remember her life before amnesia. — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 In one early scene, a horrified Pam stares into her bathroom mirror, covered head to toe in blood. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026 The first police officer on the scene quickly ran back to the station for help, while neighbors calmed the horrified Lizzie. — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 June 2026 As a horrified Sam inadvertently observes, a creature has been sating itself on his buddy’s brain. — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026 As his tricks progressed, the Young Man felt horrified and confused at the same time. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 Bowers told Vuong, who called the business and legal division while Bowers sent screeners to the horrified standards and practices department of the famously conservative broadcast network. — Anna Peele, Vulture, 20 May 2026 To her horrified astonishment, Miss Manners has received a number of letters reporting that guests are taking gross advantage of hospitality by cadging future meals. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 12 May 2026 As the scene was projected onto a screen, Jude seemed slightly horrified to see himself in front of the camera rather than behind it. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

Herlacher braved the falling debris and panicked people running through the streets to help her and was horrified to find the fragment had cut through her back. — ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2026 Based on the first novella in Martha Wells’ book series, Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients, played by Skarsgård. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 For centuries, the bugs have horrified homeowners and occasionally panicked the public. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 Denise and the kids are horrified and have to leave quickly as the dinosaur eats what’s left of the devoted dad. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 There, her stern Granny and poised Aunt Helen (Genevieve O’Reilly) are horrified by her lack of refinement and her indifference about finding a respectable husband. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 Roberts has her students swab their own phones, and they’re routinely horrified by what grows. — Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrified

Adjective

There, a terrified teenage girl would be filmed fleeing before she was consumed by a blinding flash of light and then found dead, bearing unexplained marks on her body.

— Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrified

Adjective

The man who was shocked was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with life-threatening injuries.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked.

— Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocked

Verb

There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a super restful sleep cycle, whether you are startled by the neighbor’s dog or an unwanted text message.

— Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Sometimes workers would be startled by the sight of a machine moving by itself and realize it was being controlled by someone in Turkey.

— Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of startled

Adjective

The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.

— Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Chan's death comes after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also alarmed fans on a TikTok livestream when police were called to his home after reports of self-harm.

— Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

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“Horrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrified. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of horrified

adjective

verb

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