terrorize

[ ter-uh-rahyz ]

verb (used with object)

, ter·ror·ized, ter·ror·iz·ing.

1. to fill or overcome with terror.
2. to dominate or coerce by intimidation.
3. to produce widespread fear by acts of violence, as bombings.

terrorize

/ ˈtɛrəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to coerce or control by violence, fear, threats, etc
2. to inspire with dread; terrify

Derived Forms

• ˈterrorˌizer, noun
• ˌterroriˈzation, noun

Other Words From

• terror·i·zation noun
• terror·izer noun
• un·terror·ized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of terrorize¹

First recorded in 1815–25; terror + -ize

Synonym Study

See frighten.

Example Sentences

Then former intern Bella Ross and I found that the vast majority of tickets went unpaid and unaddressed, yet their existence could later terrorize low-income people who received them.

From Voice of San Diego

Using such flawed data to train new systems embeds the police department’s documented misconduct in the algorithm and perpetuates practices already known to be terrorizing those most vulnerable to that abuse.

From MIT Technology Review

Faulconer made homelessness his top priority nearly four years into his tenure after a deadly hepatitis A outbreak terrorized San Diego’s homeless population, dramatically increasing both service offerings and police force to address the problem.

From Voice of San Diego

Two more former eBay employees have admitted to their roles in a campaign to terrorize a Massachusetts couple with threatening social media messages and disturbing deliveries of things like live spiders sent to their home.

From Fortune

The 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft didn’t join the Storm until this year, but her size and skill at both ends of the floor have been terrorizing opposing second teams.

From FiveThirtyEight

Related Words

• alarm
• bludgeon
• bully
• coerce
• frighten
• horrify
• intimidate
• menace
• oppress
• scare
• shock
• terrify