terror
gb/tˈɛɹɚ/ us/tˈɛɹɚ/
B2
English
~ 5500
rémület, rettegés, terror, terrorizmus, rém, rosszcsont, borzalom, szörnyűség
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
feel terror at [something]
She woke up in terror after the nightmare.
A rémálomból rémülten riadt fel.
As the plane dropped suddenly, a wave of terror swept through the passengers.
Amikor a repülőgép hirtelen zuhanni kezdett, rémület hulláma söpört végig az utasokon.
He remembers the terror he felt when he heard someone trying to open the door.
Children ran in terror when the fire alarm sounded.
The look of pure terror on his face told us something was very wrong.
Learner examples
The little girl cried in terror when she saw the snake.
A kislány rémületében sírni kezdett, amikor meglátta a kígyót.
I felt terror when the car almost hit us.
Rémület fogott el, amikor az autó majdnem nekünk jött.
He stood in terror and could not move.
They watched in terror as the storm came closer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "terror" when they mean normal fear. "Terror" is much stronger than "fear" and is used for very frightening situations. They may also confuse "terror" (the feeling) with "terrorism" (politically motivated violence).
Meaning
extreme, overwhelming fear
Collocations
sheer terror
|in terror
|scream in terror
|shake with terror
|be filled with terror
Synonyms
horror (Often suggests shock or disgust as well as fear.)
|
dread (More about fear of something expected in the future.)
|
panic (Emphasizes sudden fear that makes it hard to think clearly.)
Antonyms
calm (Absence of strong emotion or fear.)
|
courage (Ability to face fear or danger without being controlled by it.)
Themes
emotions
|safety
|violence
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very strong feeling of fear.
A feeling of very strong, overwhelming fear.
NOUN
C1
2
terror
B2
terrorizmus
B2
Usage pattern:
use terror against [a group]
The regime used terror to silence all political opposition.
A rezsim terrorral hallgattatta el az egész politikai ellenzéket.
The bombings were meant to spread terror among the civilian population.
A robbantások célja az volt, hogy rettegést keltsenek a polgári lakosság körében.
International leaders condemned the attacks as acts of terror.
Communities that have lived through years of terror often struggle to rebuild trust.
The new law aims to prevent the financing of terror.
Learner examples
The group used terror to control the town.
A csoport terrorral tartotta uralma alatt a várost.
People lived under terror during the war.
Az emberek a terror uralma alatt éltek a háború idején.
The attack was an act of terror against the city.
The government promised to fight terror inside the country.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "terror" when native speakers would more often use "terrorism" (for example, saying "global terror" instead of the more common "global terrorism"). "Terror" in this sense is often used in fixed phrases like "acts of terror" or "campaign of terror."
Meaning
political violence used to intimidate
Collocations
campaign of terror
|acts of terror
|state terror
|war on terror
|spread terror
Synonyms
terrorism (More common and explicit term in modern political and news language.)
|
repression (Focuses more on control and limiting freedom than on fear itself.)
Antonyms
peace (Absence of violent conflict or attacks.)
|
security (Condition in which people are protected from such violent acts.)
Themes
politics
|violence
|security
|law
Definition
Violent acts used to scare people for political reasons.
Violent actions, especially by groups or governments, used to create fear for political or ideological purposes.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
rém
B2
rosszcsont
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a real terror
Their youngest son is a real terror in the classroom.
A legkisebb fiuk igazi rém az osztályban.
My nephew was an absolute terror at the restaurant, running around and shouting.
Az unokaöcsém valóságos rém volt az étteremben: rohangált és kiabált.
She can be a little terror when she doesn’t get her own way.
The new puppy is a terror, chewing everything he can find.
He was a holy terror as a teenager but calmed down in his twenties.
Learner examples
Her five-year-old is a little terror at home.
Az ötéves gyereke otthon igazi kis rém.
The boy was a terror and would not listen to the teacher.
A fiú igazi rém volt, és nem hallgatott a tanárra.
My sister says her dog is a terror when guests come.
I was a real terror when I was a child.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this informal meaning with the basic idea of fear. In expressions like "He is a little terror," it does not mean that people feel terror; it means he is very naughty or difficult.
Meaning
very naughty or troublesome person
Collocations
little terror
|real terror
|absolute terror
|holy terror
Synonyms
brat (Stronger negative tone; often suggests a spoiled child.)
|
troublemaker (More general; not limited to children.)
Antonyms
angel (Informal, often used about a child who is very well behaved.)
|
well-behaved child (Neutral, directly contrasts with a naughty or difficult child.)
Themes
family
|character
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
A very naughty or difficult person, usually a child, who causes a lot of trouble.
A very badly behaved or extremely troublesome person, especially a child.
NOUN
C1
4
borzalom
B2
szörnyűség
B1
Usage pattern:
the terrors of [something]
He wrote a book describing the terrors of war he had witnessed.
Könyvet írt a háború általa megtapasztalt borzalmairól.
Many refugees still remember the terrors of the journey.
Sok menekült még mindig emlékszik az út borzalmaira.
The film shows the terrors of life under a brutal dictatorship.
As a child, she often lay awake, imagining the terrors of the night.
Survivors spoke quietly about the terrors they had lived through.
Learner examples
The movie shows the terrors of war.
A film bemutatja a háború borzalmait.
My grandfather does not like to talk about the terrors of the past.
A nagyapám nem szeret a múlt borzalmairól beszélni.
The book tells us about the terrors of living under that government.
People tried to forget the terrors of the long winter.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "terror" here often appears in the plural "terrors" and usually in fixed phrases like "the terrors of war" rather than as a general countable noun.
Meaning
very frightening aspects of something
Collocations
the terrors of war
|the terrors of the night
|the terrors of dictatorship
|relive the terrors
Synonyms
horrors (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable in set phrases like "the horrors of war.")
Antonyms
comforts (Highlights pleasant or safe aspects instead of frightening ones.)
Themes
violence
|health
|history
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The very scary parts of something, like war or a disease.
The extremely frightening parts or experiences of something, especially war, violence, or illness.
Grammar
Dictionary form
terror
IPA
GB/tˈɛɹɚ/
US/tˈɛɹɚ/
Syllables & stress
ter - ror (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ter)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: terror
- Plural: terror, terrors
Word family
Expressions
holy terror
1/hˈoʊli tˈɛɹɚ/
idiom
informal
very naughty or difficult person
A very naughty or difficult person, usually a child, who causes a lot of trouble.
Examples
- Their youngest is a holy terror when he’s tired.
- She was a holy terror at school but very sweet at home.
- That dog is a holy terror if you leave him alone too long.
in terror
1/ˈɪn tˈɛɹɚ/
fixed phrase
in a state of terror
Feeling very strong fear at that moment.
Examples
- The children hid under the table in terror.
- She froze in terror when she heard the footsteps behind her.
- They watched in terror as the fire spread across the field.
live in terror (of)
1/lˈɪv ˈɪn tˈɛɹɚ əv/
idiom
live while constantly extremely afraid
To feel very strong fear all the time because of something or someone.
Examples
- Many citizens lived in terror of the secret police.
- She lives in terror that her visa will not be renewed.
- For years he lived in terror of his violent neighbor.
night terrors
1/nˈaɪt tˈɛɹɚz/
fixed phrase
episodes of extreme fear during sleep
A sleep problem, usually in children, when they suddenly show extreme fear at night but are not fully awake.
Examples
- Their son began having night terrors when he was three years old.
- Night terrors can be frightening for parents to watch.
- The doctor explained that night terrors are different from normal nightmares.
reign of terror
1/ɹˈeɪn əv tˈɛɹɚ/
fixed phrase
period of rule using fear and violence
A period of time when leaders or a group control people by using violence and making them very afraid.
Examples
- The dictator’s reign of terror lasted more than a decade.
- History books describe the reign of terror that followed the revolution.
- The gang’s reign of terror in the neighborhood ended when the police made several arrests.
strike terror into
1/stɹˈaɪk tˈɛɹɚ ˈɪntu/
idiom
cause someone extreme fear
To make someone feel very strong fear.
Examples
- The sound of the siren struck terror into the hearts of the villagers.
- The news of the attack struck terror into everyone who lived in the city.
- Stories of the disease struck terror into communities around the world.
war on terror
1/wˈɔɹ ˈɔn tˈɛɹɚ/
fixed phrase
campaign against terrorism
The name for political and military actions by some countries to fight terrorism, especially after 2001.
Examples
- Many countries joined the war on terror after the attacks.
- The war on terror changed foreign policy around the world.
- People still debate whether the war on terror was effective.