terrify

[ ter-uh-fahy ]
See synonyms for: terrifyterrifiedterrifying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing.
  1. to fill with terror or alarm; make greatly afraid.

Origin of terrify

1
1565–75; <Latin terrificāre, equivalent to terr(ēre) to frighten + -ificāre-ify

synonym study For terrify

See frighten.

Other words from terrify

  • ter·ri·fi·er, noun
  • ter·ri·fy·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·ter·ri·fied, adjective
  • un·ter·ri·fy·ing, adjective

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How to use terrify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for terrify

terrify

/ (ˈtɛrɪˌfaɪ) /


verb-fies, -fying or -fied
  1. (tr) to inspire fear or dread in; frighten greatly

Origin of terrify

1
C16: from Latin terrificāre, from terrēre to alarm + facere to cause

Derived forms of terrify

  • terrifier, noun

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