horrify

[ hawr-uh-fahy, hor- ]

verb (used with object)

, hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing.

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 Words From

• 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

The mode of transportation is an especially good opportunity for parents to horrify their teenagers.

From Los Angeles Times

Emma Beddington wrote that there is "plenty to horrify" in the series, including the physical toll on the team members' bodies, the "abysmal pay" and "the objectification".

From BBC

Nigel Farage has made it his life’s work to disrupt, delight, dismay, horrify, and he reckons he is not done yet.

From BBC

The idea of giving peanut butter to babies and young children will horrify a generation of parents who were told to avoid the foodstuff due to the fear of allergies.

From BBC

It is a vision that would horrify the abolitionists who sought to end such state-sponsored racism once and for all, as well as the justices who sought to vindicate their aims in Brown.

From Slate

Related Words

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