verb
-
to cause feelings of horror in; terrify; frighten
-
to dismay or shock greatly
Other Word Forms
- horrification noun
- horrifyingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of horrify
1785–95; < Latin horrificāre to cause horror, equivalent to horri- (combining form of horrēre to bristle with fear; horrendous ) + -ficāre -fy
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.
First Minister John Swinney said he was "horrified" by the suffering of bereaved families.
From BBC
This is either hilarious, horrifying or both, depending on how you look at it.
From MarketWatch
Her horrified family turned to the police but they could not stop her leaving to set up home with Swan in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.
From BBC
“Now there are thousands of them out there. Thousands of Enigma operators. And we know they make mistakes that would horrify old Mr. S.”
From Literature
Hilton, a former Fox News host, wrote in an email that “every sane person is horrified by the scenes of chaos and lawlessness in Minneapolis, and most of all that people are getting killed.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions 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.
