terrornoun
uk/ˈter.ər/us/ˈter.ɚ/B2 [ C or U ] extreme fear:
They fled from the city in terror.
There was sheer/abject terror in her eyes when he came back into the room.
What he said struck terror in my heart (= made me very frightened).
Heights have/hold no terrors for me (= do not frighten me).
[ U ] violent action or threats designed to cause fear among ordinary people, in order to achieve political aims:
The separatists started a campaign of terror to get independence.
We need to form global partnerships to fight terror.
a terror suspect/attack/plot
Synonym
terrorism
[ C ] informal someone, especially a child, who behaves badly and is difficult to control:
My brother is a little terror.
More examples
- They clung together in terror as the screams grew louder.
- Her terror was compounded by the feeling that she was being watched.
- Nearly every new parent feels an amalgam of joy and terror.
- The political repression in this country is enforced by terror.
- She felt panic and terror rise in her whenever she thought of the future.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fear & phobias
- acrophobia
- aerophobia
- agoraphobic
- alarm
- arachnophobia
- bogey
- chill
- claustrophobia
- cold sweat
- fearful
- fright
- homophobia
- horror
- hydrophobia
- hydrophobic
- mortal
- panic
- panic stations
- phobia
- xenophobe
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Children & babies
Idiom(s)
in terror of your life