terror

American  

[ter-er] / ˈtɛr ər /

noun

• terrors
  plural

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.

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terror British  

/ 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

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terror Idioms  

1. see holy terror.

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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

• counterterror
  noun
• terrorful
  adjective
• terrorless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• terrors
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terror terrors

Other tales are simply rich in suspense and mounting terror.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Vampires are, according to legend, more known to inspire terror than laughs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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

Five men were initially arrested on suspicion of terror offences and subsequently released on bail.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Then there was only water, roaring past her, and a great jag of terror.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

"Now I've started therapy and hopefully that will help the night terrors."

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

They are experiencing terrors of modern warfare at sea that have become commonplace on land in Ukraine or the Middle East—such as the sight and menacing sound of Iranian drones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

But somehow, I have managed to defy the odds, becoming the rare outlier to not only protect my job from the A.I. monster’s bite but profit from its terrors.

From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026

“Sinners” is a meditation on how the past’s crimes and terrors bleed into the present, rendered by a Black artist using a popular genre, horror, as half of his canvas.

From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026

It’s like the visions in my night terrors, only this time come true.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

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Related Words

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

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