terrorter‧ror /ˈterə $ -ər/ ●●○ W3 noun 
People fled in terror as fire tore through the building. Shots rang out, and I screamed in terror. We lived in terror of our father when he was drinking. There was a look of sheer terror (=complete terror) on his face.strike terror into somebody/somebody’s heart The sound of enemy planes struck terror into our hearts.► see thesaurus at fear2frightening situation [countable] an event or situation that makes people feel extremely frightened, especially because they think they may dieterror of the terrors of war Death holds no terrors for (=does not frighten) me.3violent action [uncountable] violent action for political purposes SYN terrorism: The resistance movement started a campaign of terror. The Red Army Faction tried to undermine the state by terror tactics. Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia4person [countable] informal a child who is difficult to control: That Johnson kid’s a real little terror! → reign of terror at reign1(4), → a holy terror at holy(4)COLLOCATIONSadjectivessheer/pure terror (=complete and total terror)· The horse galloped off in sheer terror down the path.absolute/stark terror (=extreme terror)· On his face was an expression of absolute terror.mortal terror literary (=very great terror)· The crew was in mortal terror of drowning.phrasesstrike terror into somebody’s heart· His fearsome appearance strikes terror into the hearts of his enemies.flee in terror· The children fled in terror as the barn caught fire.scream/shriek in terror· She jumped to her feet, screaming in terror.live in terror· Everyone lived in terror of the religious police.verbsinspire terror· The main aim of suicide bombers is to inspire terror in the population.
WORD ORIGINterror
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French terreur, from Latin terror, from terrere; ➔ TERRIBLEEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Terror-stricken refugees fled across the border.
- A feeling of terror gripped us as we listened to his story.
- Denver burst from the room, terror in her eyes.
- He barely survived the terror of the river rapids.
- I will never forget the look of sheer terror on her face.
- Shots were fired, and the children fled in terror.
- The men on the quivering, battered boat were mad with terror.
- The resistance movement started a campaign of terror.
- Their faces were white, and their eyes were filled with terror.
- As they saw this wonder each looked in terror at the other, and dropping their eyes they prayed silently.
- Her eyes fixed themselves in terror on the door.
- On the high hilltop in the darkness Psyche sat, waiting for she knew not what terror.
- Sometimes you have a feeling of pure, undiluted terror.
- The terror, if not the actuality, of the disease has survived into our own time.
- There was an expression of frozen terror on Emilia's face.
- Trapped between twin terrors, he allowed his body to sink within the folds of jackets and overcoats.
THESAURUS
a feeling of being frightened: · He was trembling with fear.· Fear of failure should not stop you trying.
a feeling of great fear, because you think that something terrible is about to happen: · She let out a scream of pure terror.
a sudden feeling of fear, or a situation that makes you feel this: · My body was shaking with fright.· You gave me a fright!· He’s had a bit of fright, that’s all.
a sudden feeling of fear or nervousness that makes you unable to think clearly or behave sensibly: · She was in such a panic that she hardly knew what she was doing!· There were scenes of sheer panic immediately following the bomb blast.
a feeling of fear or worry which shows in your voice or behaviour, because you think something bad might happen: · When I mentioned her name, he looked up at me in alarm.· The streets were calm and there was no sign of alarm.
a feeling that something bad or unpleasant might happen although there is no obvious reason why it should: · She felt the same sense of foreboding she had before her father died.
a permanent strong unreasonable fear of something: · I had a phobia about going to the dentist.
Longman Language Activatorthe feeling of being frightened the feeling you have when you are very frightened, or the thought that something very unpleasant will happen: · The boy's eyes were full of fear.fear of: · Fears of a recession have wiped billions of dollars off share values.· fear of flying· My fear of the dentist goes back to when I was a child.fear that: · There was always the fear that he might never return.do something in fear (=do something because you feel fear): · I glanced around in fear. Was someone following me?do something in fear of your life (=do something because you think you are going to be killed): · People fled in fear of their lives, as mud began to pour down the mountainside.shake/tremble/go white etc with fear: · Her hands were shaking with fear.frozen/sick with fear: · The boat had gone. We stood frozen with fear, staring at the sea.hopes and fears (=the things that you hope will happen and the things that you are frightened will happen): · On New Year's Eve we come together, and share our hopes and fears for the coming year.
a very strong feeling of fear when you think that something very bad is going to happen to you, especially that you will be killed: · Denver burst from the room, terror in her eyes.· The men on the quivering, battered boat were mad with terror.· Their faces were white, and their eyes were filled with terror.in terror (=because you are very frightened): · Shots were fired, and the children fled in terror.sheer terror (=very great terror): · I will never forget the look of sheer terror on her face.terror-stricken (=feeling terror): · Terror-stricken refugees fled across the border.
a strong feeling of shock and fear that you have when you see something terrible happen, or when you think of something terrible: · Jocasta turned white, a look of horror on her face. in horror: · The crowd watched in horror as the plane hit the ground and burst into flames.to somebody's horror (=making someone feel very frightened): · He suddenly realized to his horror that the brakes weren't working.· To his horror, PC Kelly saw a handgun protruding from the man's coat.
a sudden, strong feeling of fear when you are in a dangerous situation, that often makes you do things that are not sensible because you cannot think clearly: · There was a sudden panic and everyone started rushing towards the door.in panic: · Shoppers fled the street in panic after two bombs exploded in central London.get into a panic/be thrown into a panic: · She got into a real panic when she thought she'd lost the tickets.panic-stricken (=feeling panic): · The panic-stricken crowd pushed through the exit, and 10 people were crushed to death.
a feeling of fear because you think something bad is going to happen although you do not have any real reason for thinking this: · "Jeanie, I have to go away," he said, his voice full of foreboding.a feeling/sense of foreboding: · As they waited at the airfield, Sara had the same feeling of foreboding that she had felt before her father died.· He had a sudden sense of foreboding. Something was wrong, very wrong.
WORD SETScar bomb, noundefuse, verbdevice, noundisarm, verbexplosion, nounexplosive, nounfuse, nounguerrilla, noungunman, noungunpowder, noungun-running, nounletter bomb, nounmine, nounmine, verbminefield, nounMolotov cocktail, nounparamilitary, adjectivepetrol bomb, nounSemtex, nounterror, nounterrorism, nounterrorist, nountime bomb, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives I just sat there, numb with fear.
(=complete and total terror)· The horse galloped off in sheer terror down the path.
(=extreme terror)· On his face was an expression of absolute terror.
literary (=very great terror)· The crew was in mortal terror of drowning.
phrases· His fearsome appearance strikes terror into the hearts of his enemies.
· The children fled in terror as the barn caught fire.
· She jumped to her feet, screaming in terror.
· Everyone lived in terror of the religious police.
verbs· The main aim of suicide bombers is to inspire terror in the population.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I just sat there, numb with fear.· He screamed in fear and panic, and banged frantically on the door.
· My screams of terror awoke my parents.
· The murders were clearly intended to spread terror.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The prosecutors and defense lawyers regarded Kovitsky as a holy terror.· He's got holy terror written all over his face, and his eyes are bursting with pure demon.· I went to him when I was 15, and he was a holy terror.· As soon as my father was out of the way she became a holy terror.
· This caused a frisson of pure terror, but Hamilton was not to be denied.· Sometimes you have a feeling of pure, undiluted terror.· It was a single scream of pure terror.· But my sympathy was lost in a wave of pure terror.· From her throat came a sound of pure terror.· Nevertheless, these works were extremely popular in their day and are still excellent examples of pure terror and suspense.· A blindfold was put on, she said, and remained in place throughout 36 hours of pure terror.
· This time, if nothing else, his sheer choking terror would block his throat and kill him.· Her smooth tongue, gleaming, lolled. Sheer terror shadowed her indented eyes, and yet never would she be caught.· Elizabeth: One of sheer terror.· The shoes spoke of moments of sheer terror.
NOUN· The reactor is on a list of more than 100 possible terror attack scenarios for which security forces have been planning.
· Over five months in 1991 the group mounted a terror campaign across three counties.· They were simply swept up in a mindless terror campaign.· The terror campaign induced in the government something approaching panic.
· Meanwhile, Belfast is bracing itself for a vicious war between rival republican terror groups over drugs.
· The economic blockade is accompanied by terror tactics.
VERB· However, the war also brought collective terror with it.· In the next few hours, seven more attacks brought terror to villages and towns across Kashmir.· For me, the daybreak brings new terrors.· Fence demand: Vandals have brought terror to a public walkway in Loftus.· The misleading ordinariness and eerie implacability of the flesh-eaters bring the terror much closer to home.
· Inside, we feel the terror of dusk begin.· For a few moments he felt something approaching terror.· Looking up into Joe's face, Michael felt a moment of terror at what he had to do.· Psyche, aghast, felt terror flooding her heart instead of love.· But Agnes felt the terror rising around her.· In the presence of my inability to keep still he should have felt only terror.· He felt terror, and relief, and perplexity, and a consequent inability to plan anything.· Instantly, John felt the old terrors rise up again, all the ugly possibilities.
· But it was something else that filled us with terror.· We hear about it later, and far from being sophisticated, we are filled with terror.· It filled his enemies with terror and his own troops with unshakeable faith and unquenchable blood lust.
· Its people flee in terror on tractors, horse-drawn carts, cars or on foot.· Instead, we imprisoned thousands of skilled people, and thousands more fled in terror.· There was a whisper amongst the servants that she had fled from Andrew in terror on the night of her return.· They fled in terror back across the frontier.· A violent and sudden earthquake is said to have toppled a nearby hill, causing the torturers to flee in terror.· After entering the cave, Hawk senses such awesome power that he flees in terror.· But the government, in pursuit of high-minded ideals, has created a bureaucratic monster before which small business-people flee in terror.
· Isabel stared into muddy brown eyes, frozen with terror herself.· Her face would freeze in terror, and she would cry uncontrollably for up to a half-hour.· The stairs creaked behind us and we froze in terror.
· Heaven and Hell not only hold no terrors or promises for them - they no longer even exist as figures of speech.· The sun followed me wherever I went, for me the night held no terror.· For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.· I tried walking but was held by a terror of turning the corner.
· Doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professionals live in terror of their clients.· A lot women and children live in terror of this kind of domestic situation.
· Paul screamed, his terror bursting out of him.· He tried to scream, but his terror was such that only soundless air came out.· A woman wept quietly, while a child at her side screamed in terror.· But just as he put the rope over his head, he screamed in terror and threw his arms above his head.· Horses reared high and screamed their terror, men, open-mouthed, fell from their saddles.· Lying there on the floor, cords biting into wrists and ankles, they heard Maureen screaming with terror and agony.· According to the only survivor, his comrades went under one by one, screaming in terror.
· The Slav opposition collapsed almost immediately, as if the very name of Charles had struck terror into their hearts.· This is why my sister possesses the capacity to strike terror in me, I think.· Those two little hyphenated words struck terror in the heart of some one eager for a weekend of yoga classes and silent breakfasts.· Every crisis would strike terror into the hearts of people everywhere.· Might strike terror into the opponent in a friendly kick about.· The very physical description of the Huns proved sufficient in and of itself to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies.· The news that Esau is coming at speed, and with a force, strikes terror into Jacob.· The man whose very name struck terror in the hearts of managing directors?
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be frozen with fear/terror/fright► be seized with/by terror/desire etc► be struck with horror/terror/awe etc
1fear [uncountable] a feeling of extreme fearin terror- As soon as my father was out of the way she became a holy terror.
- I went to him when I was 15, and he was a holy terror.
- The prosecutors and defense lawyers regarded Kovitsky as a holy terror.
- She held herself raised by her great prosperity above all that ordinary mortals fear and reverence.
- The crew is in mortal terror.
- The invasion ended the four-year-long reign of terror.
- He led a reign of terror until his conversion to Catholicism in 989.
- He was, simultaneously, a loving father and sensitive poet and a ruthless dictator who presided over a reign of terror.
- Heaven knows what his victim had been eating before the battle, but it ended Seiguard's reign of terror, permanently.
- One of the H. Fire development bright colours within only a few days and began a reign of terror.
- Some reformists suggest it was part of a proposed reign of terror.
- The 53-year-old railway worker abused his stepdaughter and two step-granddaughters in a 12-year reign of terror.
- The Grantley Ripper looked set for a long reign of terror.
- The team is based in a local government building, bugged during Ceaucescu's reign of terror.
- Believe me, all those cannon, mortars and volley guns should strike fear into the heart of the enemy.
- Every crisis would strike terror into the hearts of people everywhere.
- Nothing here to strike fear into the hearts of the people.
- The Slav opposition collapsed almost immediately, as if the very name of Charles had struck terror into their hearts.
- The very physical description of the Huns proved sufficient in and of itself to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies.
People fled in terror as fire tore through the building. Shots rang out, and I screamed in terror. We lived in terror of our father when he was drinking. There was a look of sheer terror (=complete terror) on his face.strike terror into somebody/somebody’s heart The sound of enemy planes struck terror into our hearts.► see thesaurus at fear2frightening situation [countable] an event or situation that makes people feel extremely frightened, especially because they think they may dieterror of the terrors of war Death holds no terrors for (=does not frighten) me.3violent action [uncountable] violent action for political purposes SYN terrorism: The resistance movement started a campaign of terror. The Red Army Faction tried to undermine the state by terror tactics. Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia4person [countable] informal a child who is difficult to control: That Johnson kid’s a real little terror! → reign of terror at reign1(4), → a holy terror at holy(4)COLLOCATIONSadjectivessheer/pure terror (=complete and total terror)· The horse galloped off in sheer terror down the path.absolute/stark terror (=extreme terror)· On his face was an expression of absolute terror.mortal terror literary (=very great terror)· The crew was in mortal terror of drowning.phrasesstrike terror into somebody’s heart· His fearsome appearance strikes terror into the hearts of his enemies.flee in terror· The children fled in terror as the barn caught fire.scream/shriek in terror· She jumped to her feet, screaming in terror.live in terror· Everyone lived in terror of the religious police.verbsinspire terror· The main aim of suicide bombers is to inspire terror in the population.