To frighten someone very much or cause intense fear in someone.
From Latin 'terrificus' meaning frightening, from 'terrere' (to frighten or tremble). The word entered English from French in the 16th century.
What terrifies us reveals what our ancestors needed to fear—heights, snakes, and strangers terrify children instinctively, but sharks barely scare people who never saw them until movies invented that modern terror.
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