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

Once he reached curfew-bound Lahore, Mahmood was horrified by the bloodshed he witnessed there and decided to stay back in Pakistan and not tour Australia.

From BBC

The prospect of selling it horrifies them; handing it on is what they seek to do.

From BBC

It is a horrifying account of the power of an abuser in a trusted role and the damage that is done when opportunities to stop them are brushed aside.

From BBC

If Gaetz becomes the 87th attorney general by any means, the consequences will be immediate and severe, starting with a mass exodus of horrified career employees.

From Los Angeles Times

The admission horrified the media and politicians on both sides of the spectrum, spurring Noem’s unpopularity and likely damaging her standing as a vice presidential candidate.

From Salon

Related Words

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