How to Say "to terrify" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to terrify” is “aterrorizar” — use 'aterrorizar' when an external event or situation directly causes intense fear in someone, like a storm frightening children..
aterrorizar
/ah-teh-rroh-ree-sahr//ateroriˈθar/
Examples
La película de terror aterrorizó a los espectadores.
The horror movie terrified the viewers.
La tormenta aterrorizó a los niños.
The storm terrified the children.
No dejes que tus miedos te aterroricen.
Don't let your fears terrify you.
El villano aterrorizaba a toda la ciudad.
The villain used to terrorize the whole city.
The 'Z' to 'C' Spelling Swap
When a verb ends in -zar, the 'z' changes to a 'c' whenever the next letter is an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense (aterroricé) and all forms of the 'special wish' verb mode (subjunctive).
Using the Personal 'A'
When you are terrifying a specific person or pet, you must put the word 'a' before them. For example: 'Aterrorizó a su hermana' (He terrified his sister).
Spelling Error in the Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo aterrorizé a mi gato.”
Correction: Yo aterroricé a mi gato. Remember that 'z' changes to 'c' before 'e' in Spanish spelling rules.
aterrar
/ah-teh-RAHR//ateˈraɾ/
Examples
Le aterra pensar en el futuro sin trabajo.
The thought of a future without work terrifies him.
A ella le aterra la idea de volar en avión.
The idea of flying in a plane terrifies her.
Sus gritos aterraron a los vecinos durante la noche.
Their screams terrified the neighbors during the night.
Me aterra que algo malo pueda pasarle a mi familia.
It terrifies me that something bad could happen to my family.
Using the 'Gustar' Structure
This word often works like 'gustar'. You use a little word like 'me', 'te', or 'le' to show who is being scared: 'Me aterra' means 'It terrifies me'.
The 'Personal A'
When you terrify a specific person, you must put 'a' before their name: 'La película aterró a Juan'.
Confusion with 'enterrar'
Mistake: “Me entierran las arañas.”
Correction: Me aterran las arañas. (Enterrar means 'to bury', while aterrar means 'to terrify'.)
Choosing Between 'Aterrar' and 'Aterrorizar'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.