horrify

horrify — verb

1. to cause a person to feel extreme shock, fear, or disgust, particularly when the

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to cause a person to feel extreme shock, fear, or disgust, particularly when they see or hear about something cruel or terrible.

例句

The news about the factory fire horrified Asher and his colleagues.

active: horrify + object

João was horrified to learn that the old forest had been burned down.

passive: be horrified + to-infinitive

同義詞
  • shock

    broader and less intense than horrify; can describe any sudden surprise, not just negative ones

  • appal

    very close in meaning; more common in British English and slightly stronger in moral outrage

  • dismay

    suggests a mix of shock and disappointment rather than fear or disgust

  • disgust

    focuses on revulsion rather than fear; the moral component is stronger

反義詞
  • reassure

    to make someone feel less worried or afraid

  • comfort

    to soothe someone who is distressed

  • delight

    to cause great pleasure, the opposite emotional reaction

文法句型

horrify + object

be horrified + at/by + object

be horrified + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be horrified). The cause of horror is typically introduced by at, by, or a to-infinitive clause. The active form is less common and usually has a situation, image, or piece of news as its subject rather than a person acting directly.

常見錯誤

❌I was horrible when I saw the accident.
✅I was horrified when I saw the accident.
💡horrible means 'very bad as a person or thing'; horrified describes the feeling of shock.
❌The movie terrified me' (when meaning it made me feel shock/disgust).
✅The movie horrified me
💡terrify is about extreme fear; horrify adds a sense of moral shock or disgust.