terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī 
ˈte-rə-
terrified; terrifying
1
a
: to drive or impel by menacing : scare
b
: deter, intimidate
2
: to fill with terror
Synonyms
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
The natural world evolved many pop culture frights long before storytellers used them to terrify us.
—
Big Think, 24 June 2024
But this remains a winning take on coming out and coming of age, conveying the anxiety and ultimate liberation of a kid terrified of his feelings.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024
We are now effectively held hostage by a bunch of people who have been manipulated by an illogical reading of the Constitution, a bankrupt lobbying group, money-grubbing politicians, and a vast right-wing media empire into being terrified for no reason.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
Wooden stairs from the back door extended to kiss the sand, and bright green iguanas would regularly sneak in (eventually terrifying my mother).
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrify 
Big Think, 24 June 2024
But this remains a winning take on coming out and coming of age, conveying the anxiety and ultimate liberation of a kid terrified of his feelings.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024
We are now effectively held hostage by a bunch of people who have been manipulated by an illogical reading of the Constitution, a bankrupt lobbying group, money-grubbing politicians, and a vast right-wing media empire into being terrified for no reason.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
Wooden stairs from the back door extended to kiss the sand, and bright green iguanas would regularly sneak in (eventually terrifying my mother).
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrify
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near terrify
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrify
verb
ter·ri·fy
ˈter-ə-ˌfī
terrified; terrifying
: to fill with terror
terrifyingly
adverb
-ˌfī-iŋ-lē
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