be terrified with

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be terrified with" is not correct and is not used in written English.
The correct phrase is "be terrified of". For example: "The little girl was terrified of the storm."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"If this is the quality of due process with regard to U.S. citizens," Mr. Markowitz said, "we should all be terrified with regard to immigrants who are targets of immigration enforcement".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"Slender came about and showed a larger audience that a game could be terrifying with a bare minimum of features.

Vice

"I was terrified with it being my first cruise," Sanders told the Freeport News.

The Guardian - Travel

Before long, a #StarWarsSpoilers hashtag started trending and ardent fans of the franchise were terrified, with many swearing off the internet until Thursday when the film is released to the general public.

Independent

"The audience was terrified, with Iggy climbing all over them, and management decided we would get arrested if we did any more shows," says Williamson. "And apart from Bowie, nobody really got us anyway.

The Guardian - Music

As was previously seen with Dendreon, biotech investors are terrified with CMS.

Forbes

"This poor dog must have been terrified with everything that was going on around him and he was lucky he was found".

BBC

Many passengers who are terrified with the idea of riding on the back of a motorcycle will gladly hop into the right-hand seat of a Slingshot and may even beg for a turn behind the wheel.

Forbes

Fortunately that solved out but now I am terrified with another possible scenario of extinction.

Huffington Post

Most of the men stated that they were terrified with the amount of blood.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

The economics of commercial theatre are terrifying, with British impresarios traditionally vague about figures, but Codron takes me through some numbers for putting on a production.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct preposition "of" after "terrified". For example, say "be terrified of spiders" instead of "be terrified with spiders".

Common error

Avoid using "with" after "terrified". This is a common mistake. Double-check your preposition usage to ensure grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be terrified with" functions as a verb phrase, aiming to describe a state of extreme fear. However, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig indicates that the correct usage is "be terrified of."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "be terrified with" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "be terrified of". Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. While some instances of the phrase appear in various sources, including news and media, its usage is rare and should be avoided in favor of the correct grammatical structure. It's essential to use "of" after "terrified" to express fear accurately. Consider alternatives like "be scared of" or "be afraid of" for expressing similar sentiments with proper grammar.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be scared of

Replaces "terrified" with "scared", a more common and less intense synonym, and uses the correct preposition "of".

be petrified of

Uses "petrified", a stronger synonym for "terrified", to indicate extreme fear, and employs the correct preposition "of".

be frightened by

Substitutes "terrified" with "frightened", another synonym, and uses the preposition "by" to indicate the source of fear.

be afraid of

Uses "afraid", a general term for fear, and the correct preposition "of".

be fearful of

Replaces "terrified" with "fearful", a synonym that emphasizes apprehension, and uses the correct preposition "of".

be anxious about

Expresses a state of worry and unease, replacing "terrified" with "anxious", and using the preposition "about".

be apprehensive about

Indicates a feeling of unease or dread, replacing "terrified" with "apprehensive", and using the preposition "about".

live in fear of

Highlights a constant state of fear, changing the structure to emphasize the duration of the emotion.

cower in fear of

Emphasizes a physical reaction to fear, suggesting hiding or trembling, and uses the preposition "of".

tremble at the thought of

Highlights the physical manifestation of fear, using "tremble" and changing the sentence structure to focus on anticipation.

FAQs

Is it correct to say "be terrified with"?

No, the correct phrasing is to use the preposition "of" instead of "with". The correct form is "be terrified of".

What's the difference between "be terrified of" and "be scared of"?

"Be terrified of" implies a greater level of fear than "be scared of". Terrified suggests extreme fear, while scared indicates a more moderate level of fear.

What can I say instead of "be terrified of"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "be frightened by", "be afraid of", or "be petrified of".

How do I use "be terrified of" in a sentence?

You can use "be terrified of" to describe something that causes extreme fear. For example, "She is terrified of heights."