ENGLISH
REFERENCE

terrified

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtɛɹəˌfaɪd// UK //tˈɛɹɪfˌaɪd// ter·ri·fied

v. feeling very afraid or scared. You use this when you are so frightened that you might not be able to think clearly.

v. experiencing extreme fear or intense alarm. Often followed by a prepositional phrase to indicate the source of the fear.


SIMPLE

The little boy was terrified of the dark.

CONTEXTUAL

She was terrified that she would miss her flight after the train broke down.

COMPLEX

The hikers stood perfectly still, terrified that any sudden movement might provoke the bear watching them from the edge of the clearing.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically follows a linking verb like 'be', 'feel', or 'become'. Often takes the preposition 'of' or a 'that' clause.

Pitfall

I was terrifying of the dogI was terrified of the dogLearners often confuse the -ed adjective (describing a feeling) with the -ing adjective (describing the thing that causes the feeling).

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