Horrify

To horrify means to cause someone to feel intense shock, fear, and disgust. It involves evoking a strong emotional response to something perceived as deeply disturbing, gruesome, or morally reprehensible. The act of horrifying can manifest through witnessing, hearing about, or imagining scenarios that violate one's sense of safety, decency, or normalcy. It often leads to feelings of revulsion, panic, and a lasting sense of unease. The degree of horror varies depending on individual sensitivities and the nature of the triggering event, but the core element remains a profound emotional impact resulting from encountering something profoundly unsettling.

Horrify meaning with examples

• The news report detailing the natural disaster's devastation was meant to inform, but instead, the graphic images of the aftermath served to horrify viewers, leaving them speechless and shaken by the scale of the tragedy. The extensive damage and loss of life shown triggered empathy and fear.
• As the detective painstakingly detailed the crime scene, the gruesome nature of the evidence began to horrify the jury. The unsettling descriptions, coupled with the photographic evidence, created a chilling atmosphere of horror and disbelief within the courtroom.
• Reading the novel's graphic descriptions of war began to horrify her as the senseless violence and brutality depicted challenged her long-held beliefs and values. The author’s realism triggered deep emotional responses, making her question the human capacity for cruelty.
• The documentary's unvarnished account of the social inequalities in the slums was designed to inform, but the reality of people's poverty and helplessness shown on screen managed to horrify viewers, forcing them to confront the uncomfortable truths of modern society.