Word
terrify
Phoneticster·ri·fy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈtɛɹəˌfaɪ/
UK/tˈɛɹɪfˌaɪ/
Definition
v. to make someone feel very afraid or full of terror. You use this when something is much more than just scary.
v. to fill with extreme fear or intense alarm. Transitive; requires a direct object, which is the person or entity experiencing the fear.
Examples
“The loud thunder began to terrify the young children.”
“Sudden engine failure at thirty thousand feet would terrify even the most experienced pilot.”
“The prospect of total economic collapse continued to terrify investors, leading to a frantic sell-off across global markets as they sought safer assets.”
Examples
simple
“The loud thunder began to terrify the young children.”
contextual
“Sudden engine failure at thirty thousand feet would terrify even the most experienced pilot.”
complex
“The prospect of total economic collapse continued to terrify investors, leading to a frantic sell-off across global markets as they sought safer assets.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “terrify” in context.
Verb
01. seem to terrify the cat
“The sound of the vacuum cleaner seemed to terrify the cat, which hid under the sofa.”
verb + infinitive
02. terrify the passengers by driving fast
“The taxi driver terrified the passengers by driving fast through the narrow streets.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
03. terrify the witness into silence
“The criminals tried to terrify the witness into silence before the trial began.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Adverb
04. absolutely terrify the children
“The loud thunder and lightning absolutely terrified the children during the night.”
adv + verb + noun
05. genuinely terrify the audience
“The actor's realistic performance managed to genuinely terrify the audience.”
adv + verb + noun
06. terrify the public with rumors
“The media was accused of trying to terrify the public with rumors of a food shortage.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
Pitfall
The movie was very terrified.
The movie was very terrifying.
Learners often confuse the -ed participle (how someone feels) with the -ing participle (the thing causing the feeling).
Real-World Examples
“If he didn't, the 22-year-old from the north of England would spend the night silent, terrified of saying the wrong thing.” “By 13, I looked up every film on Wikipedia and read through each trap with terrified excitement.” Etymology
From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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