Standard Lemma guide

terrorize

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɛɹəɹaɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 R ER0 AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To fill (someone) with terror; to terrify.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

Examples

  • terrorize the population
  • terrorize civilians
  • The gang continued to terrorize the neighborhood.
  • She felt terrorized by the constant threats.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To coerce (someone) by using threats or violence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

fill with terror; frighten greatly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: terrify, terrorise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: frighten, fright, scare, affright

Narrower terms: panic

4

verb

Meaning 4

coerce by violence or with threats

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: terrorise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: coerce, hale, squeeze, pressure, force

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *-ōs Proto-Italic *-ōs Latin -or Latin terrorbor. Old French terreur Middle French terreurbor. Middle English terrour English terror Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English terrorize From terror + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: тэрарызава́ць (teraryzavácʹ) — fill with terror
  • Bulgarian: тероризирам (teroriziram) — fill with terror
  • Catalan: terroritzar — fill with terror
  • Esperanto: terori — fill with terror
  • French: terroriser — fill with terror
  • German: terrorisieren — fill with terror
  • Greek: τρομοκρατώ (tromokrató) — fill with terror
  • Hungarian: terrorizál — fill with terror
  • Hungarian: megfélemlít — fill with terror
  • Italian: terrorizzare — fill with terror
  • Latin: terreō — fill with terror
  • Latvian: terorizēt — fill with terror
  • Polish: terroryzować — fill with terror
  • Polish: sterroryzować — fill with terror
  • Russian: терроризи́ровать (terrorizírovatʹ) — fill with terror
  • Spanish: terrorizar — fill with terror
  • Spanish: aterrorizar — fill with terror
  • Swedish: terrorisera — fill with terror
  • Ukrainian: тероризува́ти (teroryzuváty) — fill with terror
  • Ukrainian: стероризува́ти (steroryzuváty) — fill with terror