terror

[ter-er]

noun

1. intense, sharp, overmastering fear.

   to be frantic with terror.

   Synonyms: consternation, dismay, alarm
   Antonyms: calm

2. an instance or cause of intense fear or anxiety; quality of causing terror.

   to be a terror to evildoers.

3. any period of frightful violence or bloodshed likened to the Reign of Terror in France.

4. violence or threats of violence used for intimidation or coercion; terrorism.

5. Informal.,  a person or thing that is especially annoying or unpleasant.

terror

/ ˈtɛrə /

noun

1. great fear, panic, or dread

2. a person or thing that inspires great dread

3. informal,  a troublesome person or thing, esp a child

4. terrorism

Other Word Forms

• terrorful adjective
• terrorless adjective
• counterterror noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of terror¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of terror¹

C14: from Old French terreur, from Latin terror, from terrēre to frighten; related to Greek trein to run away in terror

Idioms and Phrases

see holy terror.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Counter terror police, who stopped Gill before boarding a plane to Moscow in 2021, found a message on Gill's phone which said he would be "fairly rewarded" for organising the event.

Read more on BBC

Cheney was one of the most powerful vice-presidents in history, a key architect of Bush's "war on terror" after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and an early advocate of the invasion of Iraq.

Read more on BBC

She’s been all over mainstream TV of late, apologizing for being a toxic terror and claiming she was misled into believing all those QAnon conspiracies.

Read more on Salon

"We are aware of a strike east of the yellow line that was done to dismantle terror infrastructures," the Israeli military told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

Mr. Obama had the chance to isolate Iran, the Middle East’s other major exporter of terror, and instead, perversely, strengthened it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anxiety 
• awe 
• dread 
• horror 
• intimidation 
• panic 
• shock