v. [ad. L. terrificāre to frighten, f. terrificus TERRIFIC: See -FY. Cf. F. terrifier (Littré).]
1. trans. To make much afraid, to fill with terror, to frighten or alarm greatly. Also absol.
1578. Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (Parker Soc.), 501. Thou terrifiest none but such as most horribly are afraid of thee.
1638. Penit. Conf., ii. (1657), 15. No Conscience to accuse, no Devil to terrifie.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 338. Terrifi’d Hee fled, not hoping to escape, but shun The present.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), V. 215. The fowler then discovers himself, and terrifies the quail, who … entangles himself the more in the net, and is taken.
1868. Morris, Earthly Par., I. Son of Crœsus, xxiii. Girls, sent their water-jars to fill, Would come back pale, too terrified to cry.
b. To drive from, out of, into, etc., by terrifying; to deter from; to frighten out of, into, etc.
1575. trans. Luther’s Comm. Gal. iii. 3. 100 b. To exhort the Galathians, and to terrifie them from a double daunger.
1690. Nesse, Hist. & Myst. O. & N. T., I. 53. Those very angels which terrified them both from the tree.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, xxxvii. It may terrify her to death in the present weak state of her nerves.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., iv. (1880), 55. The people who remained were at length terrified into orthodoxy.
2. To irritate, torment, worry, harass, annoy, tease. Now only dial.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. iii. Working only by terrifying Plaisters upon the rind and orifice of the Sore.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Terrify, to teize; irritate; annoy. A blister or a caustic is said to terrify a patient.
1876. N. & Q., 5th Ser. VI. 56/1. He has been terrified all night by those insects.
1898. J. A. Gibbs, Cotswold Vill., viii. 164. ‘Terrify him, sir; keep on terrifying of him.’ This does not mean that you are to frighten the fish; on the contrary, he is urging you to stick to him till he gets tired of being harassed.
† 3. To make terrible. Obs. rare–1.
1643. Milton, Divorce, II. iii. If the law, instead of aggravating and terrifying sin, shall give out licence, it foils itself.
Hence Terrified ppl. a. (whence Terrifiedly adv.); Terrifying vbl. sb. and ppl. a. (whence Terrifyingly adv.); also Terrifier, one who or that which terrifies.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxxiv. Elizabeth … hastened … along the principal alley of the Pleasance, dragging with her the *terrified Countess.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. i. Her terrified expostulation stopped him.
1890. Temple Bar Mag., Nov., 313. She is still *terrifiedly clutching his hand.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, Suppl. 548. In stead of a *terrifier, he hath brought him about now, to be a praiser.
1870. R. C. Jebb, Sophocles’ Electra (ed. 2), 72/1. The terrifier of horses.
1617. J. Woodford in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 199. A gibbet having been set up for the *terrifying of the people.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. LXXXVIII. xi. Thou dost me fill … With *terrifying feares.
1746–7. Hervey, Medit. (1818), 269. At the least terrifying appearance, they start from their seats.
1849. Stovel, Introd. Canne’s Necess., 71. Exhibitions of terrifying depravity.
1805. Surr, Winter in Lond. (1806), I. 271. If your honour had not been so *terrifyingly flurried, I should have given you the message before.
