Lewis & Short

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terrĕo, ŭi, ĭtum, 2, v. a. [Sanscr. root tras-, trasāmi, tremble; Gr. τρέω], to frighten, affright, put in fear or dread, to alarm, terrify.

  1. I. Lit. (class. and very freq.): nec me ista terrent, Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 4: adversarios, id. de Or. 1, 20, 90: qui urbem totam . . . caede incendiisque terreret, id. Har. Resp. 4, 6: eum hominem istis mortis aut exsilii minis, id. Par. 2, 17: suae malae cogitationes terrent, id. Rosc. Am. 24, 67: maris subita tempestas terret navigantes, id. Tusc. 3, 22, 52: milites . . . alii se abdere, pars territos confirmare, Sall. J. 38, 5: multum ad terrendos nostros valuit clamor, Caes. B. G. 7, 84: mortis metu territi, Curt. 6, 7, 10; 9, 4, 16: aliquem proscriptionis denuntiatione, Cic. Planc. 35, 87: metu poenāque, id. Rep. 5, 4, 6: ut in scenā videtis homines consceleratos impulsu deorum terreri Furiarum taedis ardentibus, id. Pis. 20, 46: terrere metu, Liv. 36, 6, 10: territus hoste novo, Ov. M. 3, 115.
    With ne and subj.: Samnites maxime territi, ne ab altero exercitu integro intactoque fessi opprimerentur, Liv. 10, 14, 20: terruit urbem, Terruit gentes, grave ne rediret Saeculum Pyrrhae, Hor. C. 1, 2, 4 sq.
    With gen.: territus animi, Sall. H. Fragm. 4, 50 Dietsch; Liv. 7, 34, 4.
    Absol.: ut ultro territuri succlamationibus, concurrunt, Liv. 28, 26, 12.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. To drive away by terror, to frighten or scare away (poet.): profugam per totum terruit orbem, Ov. M. 1, 727: fures vel falce vel inguine, id. ib. 14, 640; cf.: has (Nymphas) pastor fugatas terruit, id. ib. 14, 518: volucres (harundo), Hor. S. 1, 8, 7: saepe etiam audacem fugat hoc terretque poëtam, id. Ep. 2, 1, 182: terret ambustus Phaethon avaras Spes, id. C. 4, 11, 25.
    2. B. To deter by terror, to scare, frighten from any action: aliquem metu gravioris servitii a repetendā libertate, Sall. H. 1, 41, 6 Dietsch: ut, si nostros loco depulsos vidisset, quo minus libere hostes insequerentur, terreret, Caes. B. G. 7, 49.
      With ne, Tac. H. 2, 63; 3, 42: memoria pessimi proximo bello exempli terrebat, ne rem committerent eo, Liv. 2, 45, 1: praesentiā tuā, ne auderent transitum, terruisti, Auct. Pan. ap. Constant. 22: non territus ire, Manil. 5, 576: inimicos loqui terrent amplitudine potestatis, Amm. 27, 7, 9.