WordGarden.ioterrorize
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈɛrərˌaɪz/
US
- /ˈtɛrərˌaɪz/
Meanings
Verb
to control or torment someone through threats, violence, or intense intimidation
to make someone extremely afraid
Beyond the definition
To terrorize someone is not just about scaring them; it is about deliberately causing extreme fear, often over a period of time. Think of a playground bully who does not just push kids around once, but keeps making their lives miserable through threats and intimidation. The word suggests a power imbalance, where one person or group uses fear to control another. A sudden loud noise might startle someone, but a person who keeps following, threatening, or harassing someone is trying to terrorize them.
To terrorize means to cause extreme fear or dread in someone, often systematically and over an extended period. It goes beyond simple fright; it involves deliberate acts intended to instill overwhelming anxiety and control through intimidation. Historically, the word comes from "terror," which itself originates from a Latin root meaning "to frighten." But terrorize implies more than just a momentary scare—it suggests a pattern of behavior designed to dominate or subdue.
You might read about armies terrorizing civilian populations during wartime, using violence and threats to maintain control. However, terrorizing doesn't always involve large-scale conflict. It can happen on a smaller scale too: a relentless online harasser could terrorize their victim with abusive messages, or a controlling partner might terrorize their spouse through emotional manipulation.
The act of terrorizing often involves an imbalance of power—the perpetrator seeks to establish dominance by exploiting the victim's fear. It's important to note that while being frightened is a natural human emotion, deliberately inflicting extreme fear on another person with malicious intent constitutes terrorizing. It's a serious term often used in legal contexts when describing harassment, threats, or abusive behavior.
So, if someone isn't just scaring you, but actively and intentionally trying to control you through fear—they are likely attempting to terrorize you.
Examples
- 1
Crime context
An armed gang terrorized the town for weeks.
- 2
Bullying
The older boys used to terrorize him on the walk home from school.
- 3
Repeated threats
She said her ex had terrorized her with late-night calls and threats.
- Patternterrorize someone with + repeated action/threat
frighten them by using it again and again
- 4
Extortion
The shop owner was terrorized into paying them every month.
- Patternterrorize someone into doing something
frighten them until they do it
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Animal reaction
That vacuum cleaner terrorizes the cat every time I turn it on.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- terrorize civilians
- terrorize a neighborhood
- terrorize someone into silence
Word family
Explore
- coercion
- psychological intimidation
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- terrorizeverb
Forms
- terrorizedpast tenseverb
- terrorizing-ing formverb
- terrorizesverb