Terrify
/ˈtɛr.ɪ.faɪ/noun
To fill someone with intense fear.
Did you know?Terrify is built from Latin roots linked to trembling and fear, and English later turned that ancient panic into a verb meaning to cause overwhelming fright.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to tremble, to dry up”
Latin
Latin
terrēre
“to frighten, to alarm”
Late Latin
Latin
terrificāre
“to frighten greatly”
Old French
Old French
terrifier
“to terrify, to frighten”
Middle English
English
terrifien
“to frighten greatly”
Modern English
English
terrify
“to fill with intense fear”