terrified

terrified — adjective

1. feeling extreme fear or worry that something bad might happen, to the point wher

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling extreme fear or worry that something bad might happen, to the point where it is hard to think or act normally

Example

Heather was terrified of spiders and would scream whenever she saw one in the bathroom.

terrified of [something]

The boy was terrified that his parents would forget to pick him up from school.

terrified that [clause]

Common collocations
  • terrified of (spiders, heights, failure, being alone)
  • terrified that (something bad might happen)
  • terrified by (a loud noise, an experience)
  • too terrified to (move, speak, breathe, look)
  • absolutely terrified
  • terrified look / expression / scream
Synonyms
  • scared

    less intense than 'terrified'; used in everyday situations

  • frightened

    similar level to 'scared', slightly more formal in tone

  • petrified

    even stronger than 'terrified'; suggests being frozen with fear and unable to move

  • horrified

    combines fear with shock or disgust

Antonyms
  • calm

    feeling no worry or fear

  • fearless

    showing no fear at all; brave

Grammar Patterns

terrified of [noun/-ing]

terrified that [clause]

too terrified to [verb]

terrified by [noun]

Usage Note

Commonly used in four patterns: 'terrified of [noun/gerund]', 'terrified that [clause]', 'terrified by [noun]', and the structure 'too terrified to [verb]'. Much stronger than 'scared' or 'frightened' — it describes a level of fear that can make a person freeze, scream, or be unable to react.

Common Mistakes

I am terrifying of snakes.
I am terrified of snakes.
'terrifying' describes something that causes fear; 'terrified' describes the person who feels the fear.
Idioms

be frightened/scared/terrified out of your wits

idiom

To be extremely afraid, so much that you cannot think clearly.

When the lights went out, Maya was scared out of her wits.

The sudden explosion frightened the soldiers out of their wits.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe fear, but they differ in intensity and nuance. 'Scared' is the mildest and most general — you can be scared of a pop quiz or a barking dog. 'Frightened' is similar in strength but slightly more formal. 'Terrified' is much stronger: it describes a level of fear that can cause someone to freeze, scream, or run away, as in 'He was terrified of the earthquake.' 'Petrified' is even more extreme and implies being frozen with fear and unable to move. 'Horrified' adds an element of shock or disgust to the fear: you might be horrified by a violent scene in a movie, not just scared.

scared ↗frightened ↗petrifiedhorrified ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • terrified out of one's wits
  • scared to death (informal)

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'terrere' meaning 'to frighten or fill with fear', via Old French 'terrir' and Middle English, developing into 'terrify' in the 1500s. The adjective 'terrified' (the past participle used as an adjective) appears in English from the 1600s onward.