terrified
/ˈter.ɪ.faɪd/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Very frightened. It describes a strong feeling of fear, often because something seems dangerous or very bad.
- She was terrified during the storm.
- I was terrified to speak in public.
Adinary Nuance
Terrified is stronger than scared or afraid. It suggests intense fear, often with a real sense of danger or panic. Writers choose terrified when the feeling is extreme, not just mild worry.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- kinh hãi
- Spanish
- aterrado
- Chinese
- 恐惧的
- Japanese
- 恐れている
- Korean
- 겁에 질린
Etymology
Terrified comes from Latin terrere, meaning “to frighten.” It entered English through French and has been used since the late Middle Ages.
Common phrases
terrified ofterrified byterrified thatterrified look
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is terrified stronger than scared?
- Yes. Terrified shows much stronger fear than scared.
- Can I say terrified of something?
- Yes. Say, “I’m terrified of spiders.”
- Is terrified used in formal writing?
- Yes, but it is common in both speech and writing.