Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

terrify

/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.80 in modern English

Syllables
ter-ri-fy
IPA
/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To frighten greatly; to fill with terror.

verb

To menace or intimidate.

verb

To make terrible.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare.

Usage

Inflected Forms

terrifies (present, singular) terrifying (participle, present) terrified (participle, past) terrified (past) terrifie (alternative)

Derived Forms

unterrifiable

Frequently Paired Words

terrible terrific terrifying terror terrorist terrorize

Synonyms

terrorize terrorise

Rhymes With

verify clarify

Questions

How do you pronounce terrify?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/.
What does terrify mean?
To frighten greatly; to fill with terror.
Where does terrify come from?
From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare.

How to pronounce terrify

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “terrify”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “terrify”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “terrify” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.