TERROR Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'terror' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of terror are alarm , dread , fear , fright , panic , and trepidation . While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," terror implies the most extreme degree of fear. // immobilized with terror

Q: When is it sensible to use 'alarm' instead of 'terror'?

The words alarm and terror are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger. // view the situation with alarm

Q: When might 'dread' be a better fit than 'terror'?

While in some cases nearly identical to terror , dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety. // faced the meeting with dread

Q: When can 'fear' be used instead of 'terror'?

The words fear and terror can be used in similar contexts, but fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage. // fear of the unknown

Q: In what contexts can 'fright' take the place of 'terror'?

While the synonyms fright and terror are close in meaning, fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear. // fright at being awakened suddenly

Q: Where would 'panic' be a reasonable alternative to 'terror'?

The synonyms panic and terror are sometimes interchangeable, but panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity. // the news caused widespread panic

Q: How do 'trepidation' and 'dread' relate to one another, in the sense of 'terror'?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation. // raised the subject with trepidation

terror

noun

ˈter-ər

Definition of terror

as in demon

a source of persistent emotional distress after the death of her father, fear of developing cancer became one of the terrors of her life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in fear

the emotion experienced in the presence or threat of danger the reports of a serial killer on the loose struck terror into our hearts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word terror distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of terror are alarm, dread, fear, fright, panic, and trepidation. While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

When is it sensible to use alarm instead of terror?

The words alarm and terror are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

When might dread be a better fit than terror?

While in some cases nearly identical to terror, dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

When can fear be used instead of terror?

The words fear and terror can be used in similar contexts, but fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

In what contexts can fright take the place of terror?

While the synonyms fright and terror are close in meaning, fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

Where would panic be a reasonable alternative to terror?

The synonyms panic and terror are sometimes interchangeable, but panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of terror?

Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Example Sentences

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 terror There’s former billionaires throwing their stuff out in the rush of packing, terror in the streets, the (fake) sky literally falling down. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 Tisch said there are no credible terror or gang threats to Sunday’s parade, but police will be extra cautious. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Violence is tempered by stillness, terror slips into wonder and the intimate expands into the infinite. — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 For them and the studio, the north star of the franchise is dinosaurs in the modern world delivering wonder and terror. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terror

Recent Examples of Synonyms for terror

Noun

Later in the episode, Big Bang‘s Wil Wheaton shows up to reveal to Stuart that Bernadette is in fact a demon and is killed by Bert (Posehn) in a magic power duel.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Slater’s script follows an exorcist names Jefferson Haddock (Bacon), who is called into an isolated witness protection property to deal with a terrifying demon, accidentally unleashing a force that threatens to end him and everything around him.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of demon

Noun

Leaders in Springfield say the growing ICE presence many fear hasn’t yet materialized.

— Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Finally, heading off to senior year wearing a Care Bears backpack could be a coping mechanism that helps teens deal with fears about the future.

— Melissa Willets, Parents, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

Sochor confessed to the crime, but her body has never been found − still a torment to her family.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 July 2026
By homing in on the psychological torment of winning the crown, the show offers a surprising detour from familiar carnage—while suggesting that disappointment over a seemingly ideal position can be as crushing as a defeat on the battlefield.

— Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Definition of torment

Noun

Sort the genuine threats from the merely unpleasant ones, and a surprising amount of everyday dread will dissipate.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
There is dread and sadness and also anger, not only on behalf of the usual alibi for caring about famous women’s bodies, those masses of impressionable teen-age girls, but on behalf of past and present selves.

— Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of dread

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territory

terror

terrorism

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“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terror. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of terror

noun

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Articles Related to terror

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on terror

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

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Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes