verb
terrify
TEH-rih-feye
verb
1
To frighten someone severely.
"The horror film terrified half the audience."
"Thunderstorms terrify our dog."
How to Use Terrify
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo scare someone badly.
Common pairings
terrify an audience
the thought terrifies me
Word Forms
terrified past tense, terrifies singular
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Thunderstorms _____ our dog.
Etymology
From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare, "to frighten."