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
Parents in our network describe being terrified, with some fearing their children, many of whom have legal status, could be used as leverage against family members.
—
Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The 2026 National Defense Strategy appears to have been drafted not by serious people but by Pentagon officials eager to curry favor with an imperious president and terrified of getting their talking points wrong.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Fewer said she and her dog were terrified by the booms.
—Tori Apodaca, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Afterwards, several of the people in the car with Vega-Mendoza said they were terrified of being harmed by their pursuers.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrify
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Daniel Anello, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
The 2026 National Defense Strategy appears to have been drafted not by serious people but by Pentagon officials eager to curry favor with an imperious president and terrified of getting their talking points wrong.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Fewer said she and her dog were terrified by the booms.
—Tori Apodaca, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Afterwards, several of the people in the car with Vega-Mendoza said they were terrified of being harmed by their pursuers.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 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 1 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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