horrify

[ hawr-uh-fahy, hor- ]

verb (used with object)

horrified, horrifying.

1. to cause to feel horror; strike with horror:

   The accident horrified us all.

2. to distress greatly; shock or dismay:

   She was horrified by the price of the house.

horrify

/ ˈhɒrɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to cause feelings of horror in; terrify; frighten
2. to dismay or shock greatly

Derived Forms

• ˌhorrifiˈcation, noun

Other Word Forms

• horri·fi·cation noun
• horri·fying·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of horrify¹

1785–95; < Latin horrificāre to cause horror, equivalent to horri- (combining form of horrēre to bristle with fear; horrendous ) + -ficāre -fy

Example Sentences

He said he had recently spoken to current MPs who had expressed such concerns, including a colleague who was "frankly horrified".

From BBC

His mother - who gave it to the BBC - said she was "horrified" when she watched it.

From BBC

Maria, which is not her real name, said that she has been homeless for 10 years and that sleeping rough on the streets of Belfast was "horrifying".

From BBC

But the parents of a baby killed by a nursery worker in 2022 describe the figures as "horrifying" and are calling for stronger safeguarding measures.

From BBC

When the military massacred protesters in the city of Gwangju, the nation was horrified.

From BBC

Related Words

• alarm
• daunt
• disgust
• dismay
• frighten
• intimidate
• outrage
• petrify
• shake
• shock
• sicken
• terrify