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
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
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—
Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The skin of her face remains absolutely static, which adds a disquieting, not to say frightening, touch to her look, the way a doll that’s suddenly come to life would terrify the children.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
The skin of her face remains absolutely static, which adds a disquieting, not to say frightening, touch to her look, the way a doll that’s suddenly come to life would terrify the children.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
Cite this Entry
“Terrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrify. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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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