plural terrors
1
: a state of intense or overwhelming fear
overcome by terror
people fleeing the scene in terror
He lived in terror of being caught.
2
: violence or the threat of violence used as a weapon of intimidation or coercion
a regime that rules by terror
especially
: violent or destructive acts (such as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands
an act of terror
the war on terror
—sometimes used before another noun a terror attack
3
: a very frightening or terrifying aspect
the terrors of war
4
a
: someone or something that inspires fear : scourge
I stood before fierce Mrs. Mabel Johnston, his secretary and the terror of the office.—
Russell Baker
Russell BakerBefore rifles were available to Eskimo hunters, bears were truly the terror of their existence.—Charles T. Feazel
Charles T. Feazel
b
informal
: an extremely disruptive or annoying person or thing
5
Examples of terror in a Sentence
The sound of guns being fired fills me with terror.
Many civilians fled in terror.
a terror that is still fresh in her memory
the terrors of life in the jungle
a regime that rules by terror
bombings and other acts of terror
These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror for many years.
a campaign of terror against ethnic minority groups
Recent Examples on the Web
That mixture of terror and safety is the secret sauce for Mike Jubie, creator of the Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses in New York’s historic Hudson Valley.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
On the other, a vision of what life would be like without the terror group.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
These are terror tactics meant to cause fear in communities.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In Jennifer Kent's terrifying psychological horror film, the Babadook is summoned when Amelia reads to her son from a pop-up book about the monster, leading to days of terror.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terror
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
On the other, a vision of what life would be like without the terror group.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
These are terror tactics meant to cause fear in communities.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In Jennifer Kent's terrifying psychological horror film, the Babadook is summoned when Amelia reads to her son from a pop-up book about the monster, leading to days of terror.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terror
Cite this Entry
“Terror.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terror. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terror
noun
ter·ror
ˈter-ər 
1
: a state of great fear
2
: a cause of great fear
3
a
: a dreadful person or thing
b
informal
: an unruly child
4
: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by a group as a way of achieving its goals
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