terror
Americannoun
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terrors
plural
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intense, sharp, overmastering fear.
to be frantic with terror.
- Synonyms:
- consternation, dismay, alarm
- Antonyms:
- calm
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an instance or cause of intense fear or anxiety; quality of causing terror.
to be a terror to evildoers.
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any period of frightful violence or bloodshed likened to the Reign of Terror in France.
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violence or threats of violence used for intimidation or coercion; terrorism.
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Informal. a person or thing that is especially annoying or unpleasant.
noun
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great fear, panic, or dread
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a person or thing that inspires great dread
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informal a troublesome person or thing, esp a child
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terrorism
Synonym Usage
Terror, horror, panic, fright all imply extreme fear in the presence of danger or evil. Terror implies an intense fear that is somewhat prolonged and may refer to imagined or future dangers: frozen with terror. Horror implies a sense of shock at a danger that is also evil, and the danger may be to others rather than to oneself: to recoil in horror. Panic and fright both imply a sudden shock of fear. Fright is usually of short duration: a spasm of fright. Panic is uncontrolled and unreasoning fear, often groundless, that may be prolonged: The mob was in a panic.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of terror
First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin, equivalent to terrēre “to frighten” + -or -or 1; replacing Middle English terrour, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
Terror is the feeling of extreme fear. If you unexpectedly find someone dressed up as a vampire in your closet in the middle of a dark night, you might well experience feelings of terror. If you feel terror, you are frozen to the spot in fear. This is the goal of terrorists who use terror as a weapon — they create a climate of fear and mistrust so that people are afraid to go about their normal lives. You will recognize this use in the phrase “the war on terror.” You can also call a difficult or scary person, often a child who causes havoc, a terror or a holy terror.
Vocabulary lists containing terror
Uncanny, Creepy, or Downright Scary: Words For Halloween
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Christa is dealing with the profound psychological trauma of having survived a failed execution, including the terror, pain and uncertainty of believing she was about to die," her legal team said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
As the age’s potent mix of terror and delirium spun on, designers and illustrators proposed ways to live comfortably in space, underwater or in underground bunkers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said: "The unspeakable savagery and terror of 7 October must never happen again."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The National Police Agency’s cyber terror unit said Tuesday it had opened a probe into the breach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
But now all the terror he’d felt those past hours came back to him, second by second.
From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis
Blumhouse Television will continue to explore the terrors of real-life monsters by expanding its “Worst Ever” franchise with “In-Laws” and “Friends.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
"The night terrors, you feel the world on your shoulders," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
This has been true for a very long time and remains true at a time of compounding terrors, crimes and disappointments.
From Salon ● May 14, 2026
“All the sweets and all the terrors of human lot lay in his mind,” Emerson writes, “as truly but as softly as the landscape lies on the eye.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
And, while most people might have a few terrors rattling their cages, she had...all of them.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
