: 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
Before rifles were available to Eskimo hunters, bears were truly the terror of their existence. Charles T. Feazel
b
informal: an extremely disruptive or annoying person or thing
trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.
raised the subject with trepidation
Example Sentences
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 See More
Recent Examples on the WebRedemptionists sought to reinscribe slavery’s power relations between Blacks and whites via racial terror, through Black Codes that disenfranchised Black voters, and by ending federal protection for Black citizenship.Time, 15 Sep. 2022 Just two days later, the fledgling website was faced with one of the biggest stories of the decade: a domestic terror bombing in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people, including children.USA Today, 15 Sep. 2022 Russia seeks to re-subjugate Ukraine through terror. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Sep. 2022 The invasion has shown Putin’s indifference to human carnage and a willingness previously shown in conflicts in Chechnya and Syria to rain terror on civilians and to raze cities. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 13 Sep. 2022 Sunday marked 21 years since the terror plot that killed nearly 3,000 people on U.S. soil.CBS News, 12 Sep. 2022 Usama bin Laden cultivated his reputation as a terror mastermind in the decades before Sept. 11, leaving bodies strewn across continents and repeatedly landing on the CIA’s radar.Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 Preston Zinter, Central Catholic — The 6-3, 215-pound senior from North Andover was a dynamic deep threat last year and a terror coming off the edge defensively. Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Sep. 2022 There’s a kind of admirable, self-knowing integrity in Colm’s simple, increasingly obsessive desire to be alone; Pádraic’s terror of being left alone himself, especially as Siobhan wistfully eyes a life beyond the island, is just as understandable. Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French terrour, from Latin terror, from terrēre to frighten; akin to Greek trein to be afraid, flee, tremein to tremble — more at tremble