plural terrors
1
: a state of intense or overwhelming fear
overcome by terror
people fleeing the scene in terror
He lived in terror of being caught.
2
: violence or the threat of violence used as a weapon of intimidation or coercion
a regime that rules by terror
especially
: violent or destructive acts (such as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands
an act of terror
the war on terror
—sometimes used before another noun a terror attack
3
: a very frightening or terrifying aspect
the terrors of war
4
a
: someone or something that inspires fear : scourge
I stood before fierce Mrs. Mabel Johnston, his secretary and the terror of the office.—
Russell Baker
Russell BakerBefore rifles were available to Eskimo hunters, bears were truly the terror of their existence.—Charles T. Feazel
Charles T. Feazel
b
informal
: an extremely disruptive or annoying person or thing
5
Synonyms of terror
Examples of terror in a Sentence
The sound of guns being fired fills me with terror.
Many civilians fled in terror.
a terror that is still fresh in her memory
the terrors of life in the jungle
a regime that rules by terror
bombings and other acts of terror
These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror for many years.
a campaign of terror against ethnic minority groups
Recent Examples on the Web
While the killing dealt one of the biggest blows to ISIS’s global network in years, disrupting operations in northeastern Nigeria, the terror group's top leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, remains at large as Africa becomes the movement's global epicenter.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
That show landed in the summer of 2020, right when the country needed a charming, good-hearted antidote to the terrors of COVID lockdown and an impending election.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 May 2026
The terror attacks left 1,200 dead and saw over 250 people taken captive in Gaza.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 May 2026
As the entity begins hunting them down one by one, the film blends supernatural terror with the precarity, exploitation and invisibility of immigrant labor.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for terror
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Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
That show landed in the summer of 2020, right when the country needed a charming, good-hearted antidote to the terrors of COVID lockdown and an impending election.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 May 2026
The terror attacks left 1,200 dead and saw over 250 people taken captive in Gaza.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 May 2026
As the entity begins hunting them down one by one, the film blends supernatural terror with the precarity, exploitation and invisibility of immigrant labor.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for terror
Cite this Entry
“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terror
noun
ter·ror
ˈter-ər 
1
: a state of great fear
2
: a cause of great fear
3
a
: a dreadful person or thing
b
informal
: an unruly child
4
: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by a group as a way of achieving its goals
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