terrorize

verb

ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing
Synonyms of terrorizenext

transitive verb

1
: to fill with terror or anxiety : scare
2
: to coerce by threat or violence
terrorization
ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
noun

Synonyms of terrorize

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of terrorize in a Sentence

As a child she terrorized her younger siblings. She was terrorized by nightmares. Employees were terrorized into accepting abysmal working conditions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Arrest documents offered a flurry of new details about two former Phoenix police officers suspected of terrorizing a couple during a traffic stop and failing to document or report the stop. — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026 For decades, Blythe Street gang terrorized Panorama City despite injunctions, beautification projects and millions in investment. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The Brigands of Rattlecreek follows a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Once inside, Ibarra and his friends terrorized the woman and an unidentified person, holding them at gunpoint and knifepoint, per the report. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrorize

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrorize was in 1823

Rhymes for terrorize

See All Rhymes for terrorize

Browse Nearby Words

terrorization
terrorize
terrorless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terrorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorize. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

terrorize

verb
ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing
1
: to fill with terror
2
: to force by threat or violence
terrorization
ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

terrorize

transitive verb
ter·​ror·​ize ˈter-ər-ˌīz How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
terrorized; terrorizing
: to inflict terror upon
terrorization
ˌter-ər-ə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce terrorize (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All