terrify

[ter-uh-fahy]

See more synonyms for terrify on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing.

to fill with terror or alarm; make greatly afraid.

Origin of terrify

1565–75; < Latin terrificāre, equivalent to terr(ēre) to frighten + -ificāre -ify

Related formster·ri·fi·er, nounter·ri·fy·ing·ly, adverbun·ter·ri·fied, adjectiveun·ter·ri·fy·ing, adjective

Synonym study

See frighten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for terrified

Contemporary Examples

He backed away and walked down the corridor as a file of terrified patients pressed themselves against the walls.
Inside a Hospital for the Criminally Insane
Caitlin Dickson
September 15, 2014
I kneel with the journalist in the sand, my face stoic and yet terrified, crying, knowing that I can do nothing but wait.
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin!
Michael Carson
September 14, 2014
“My sister and her children are terrified,” said Iraqi Yazidi Faisal Fhaqooli, speaking from Lincoln, Nebraska, on Wednesday.
Trapped in an ISIS Prison, And There May Be No U.S. Rescue
Kimberly Dozier
August 14, 2014
The Islamist militants seemed to be terrified of these notorious female fighters.
Abducted, Tortured, Indoctrinated: The Tale of a Teen Who Escaped ISIS
Yusuf Sayman
August 4, 2014
Terrified citizens of these nations started running to the United States by the tens of thousands.
From Texas to Gaza, Reaping What We Sow
Michael Tomasky
August 1, 2014

Historical Examples

And as she dropped them she saw the terrified face of Cornelius open its eyes.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
Her voice was that with which one seeks to cajole a terrified infant.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
But that afternoon of the first day at home she was terrified.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
What had so terrified the kongoni it would be impossible to say.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
It was simply a concert of howling monkeys that had so terrified me!
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson

British Dictionary definitions for terrified

terrify

verb -fies, -fying or -fied

(tr) to inspire fear or dread in; frighten greatly

Derived Formsterrifier, noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin terrificāre, from terrēre to alarm + facere to cause

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for terrified

terrify

v.

1570s, from Latin terrificare "to frighten," from terrificus "causing terror" (see terrific). Related: Terrified; terrifying.

terrify

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}terrify

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for terrified

Contemporary Examples

He backed away and walked down the corridor as a file of terrified patients pressed themselves against the walls.

I kneel with the journalist in the sand, my face stoic and yet terrified, crying, knowing that I can do nothing but wait.

“My sister and her children are terrified,” said Iraqi Yazidi Faisal Fhaqooli, speaking from Lincoln, Nebraska, on Wednesday.

The Islamist militants seemed to be terrified of these notorious female fighters.

Terrified citizens of these nations started running to the United States by the tens of thousands.

Historical Examples

And as she dropped them she saw the terrified face of Cornelius open its eyes.

Her voice was that with which one seeks to cajole a terrified infant.

But that afternoon of the first day at home she was terrified.

What had so terrified the kongoni it would be impossible to say.

It was simply a concert of howling monkeys that had so terrified me!

terrify

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for terrified

terrify

v.

Origin of terrify