terrify — to make someone extremely frightened
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make someone extremely frightened
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈterɪfaɪ/
Example Sentences
- My mom's cooking used to terrify the neighbors until she took cooking classes.
- The thought of public speaking terrifies many people.
- The loud thunder terrified my cat so much that she hid under the bed for hours.
terrify
VERB[/ˈterɪfaɪ/]
to make someone extremely frightened
The sudden thunderstorm terrified the children.
The barking dog terrified the little boy.
The frightening rumor terrified people until reporters verified the facts and clarified the truth.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'terrere' meaning 'to frighten or alarm,' combined with the suffix '-ify' (meaning 'to make or cause to become'). The Latin root is related to 'terror' and has Indo-European origins.
Breakdown
terr- (frighten, from Latin terrere) + -ify (to make, cause to become) = terrify (to make extremely frightened)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom's cooking used to terrify the neighbors until she took cooking classes.”
“The thought of public speaking terrifies many people.”
“The loud thunder terrified my cat so much that she hid under the bed for hours.”
“My driving skills terrify even GPS navigation systems.”
📚Related Words
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