terrificada

Terrificada is the feminine form of the past participle terrificado, used as an adjective in Spanish and Portuguese to describe someone who is extremely frightened or intimidated. It agrees in gender with feminine subjects, while the masculine form is terrificado. The word is commonly used with estar to express a temporary emotional state, as in una persona está terrificada.

In both languages, terrificada conveys a stronger sense of fear than simpler adjectives like asustada or temerosa, often implying shock or extreme distress after a specific event or stimulus. It can also appear in literary or journalistic contexts to emphasize the emotional impact of a situation. The related verbs from which the participle derives are terrorizar and terrificar, meaning to terrorize or to terrify, respectively, with terrificada reflecting a passive or participial meaning.

Examples:

Spanish: La niña quedó terrificada tras escuchar el trueno.

Portuguese: Ela ficou terrificada com a notícia.

Notes on usage:

- In Spanish, commonly used with estar to describe a temporary state (estar terrificada) rather than a permanent trait.

- In Portuguese, the form follows standard gender agreement and can be used similarly (ficou terrificada).

Terrificada is widely understood in both languages and appears in everyday speech, media, and literature as a precise descriptor of intense fear.

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