terrified

Terrified is an adjective used to describe a person, animal, or thing that experiences extreme fear, typically in response to an immediate or perceived threat. The term conveys intensity beyond ordinary fear and is often used when danger is perceived as imminent.

Etymology and forms: derived from the verb terrify, the past participle terrified serves as the main adjective. Related degrees of intensity include more terrified and most terrified. The word is commonly followed by of or that, as in terrified of spiders or terrified that he would fail.

Causes and responses: fear can be triggered by real danger, traumatic events, frightening media, or sudden stimuli such as loud noises. Physiologically, terror activates the fight‑or‑flight system, increasing heart rate, respiration, and adrenaline. Behaviorally, a terrified individual may freeze, flee, cry, or seek safety, and memory encoding of the event may be enhanced.

Differences and usage: terrified refers to a state of fear, while terrifying describes something that induces fear. To describe someone who has been made to feel fear by another is more often phrased as 'terrorized' or 'scared' in common usage.

See also: fear, terror, panic, phobia, fright.