terrify
verb (used with object)
to fill with terror or alarm; make greatly afraid.
was terrifying
-
past progressiveof terrify.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
"The thought of all that money, all that time that I've saved up, that excitement completely vanishing into the ether, it was terrifying," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
"This was terrifying... this town had never seen anything like this," the teenager told AFP.
From Barron's ● Mar. 22, 2026
But experiencing it in her own synagogue was terrifying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Benson, 24, told AFP that Honnold was "incredibly brave", while others, like Lin Chia-jou, 54, said it was "terrifying" to watch.
From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026
At the distance of a long bowshot from the village, the scene was terrifying.
From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III
