Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'horrify'

English Word: horrify

Key Russian Translations:

• ужаса́ть /uʐɐˈsatʲ/ - [Formal, Literary]
• пугать /pʊˈɡatʲ/ - [Informal, Everyday]
• шоки́ровать /ʂɐˈkʲirəvatʲ/ - [Neutral, Modern]

Frequency: Medium (commonly used in literature, media, and horror contexts, but not as everyday as basic verbs like "to say").

Difficulty: B2 (Intermediate for most translations; for example, 'ужаса́ть' may require B2 due to its formal conjugation, while 'пугать' is more accessible at A2-B1).

Pronunciation (Russian):

ужаса́ть: /uʐɐˈsatʲ/

Note on ужасать: The stress falls on the second syllable ('sa'), which is common in Russian imperfective verbs; be careful with the soft 't' sound, pronounced as [tʲ].

пугать: /pʊˈɡatʲ/

Note on пугать: The 'u' sound is like in "put," and the stress is on the second syllable; this verb often has a softer, less intense pronunciation in casual speech.

шоки́ровать: /ʂɐˈkʲirəvatʲ/

Note on шокировать: The initial 'sh' is a retroflex sound [ʂ], similar to English 'sh' but more guttural; stress on the second syllable, and it's a borrowed word from French, so pronunciation is relatively straightforward for learners.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To cause extreme fear, shock, or horror

Translation(s) & Context:

• ужаса́ть - Used in formal or literary contexts to describe something that deeply terrifies or horrifies, often in narratives or emotional descriptions.
• пугать - Applied in informal, everyday situations for milder fear or surprise, such as scaring someone playfully.
• шоки́ровать - Employed for shocking or appalling events, especially in modern or urban contexts, implying a sudden emotional impact.

Usage Examples:

• Эта книга ужасает своими описаниями войны. (Eta kniga uzhasayet svoimi opisaniami voyny.)

  This book horrifies with its descriptions of war. (Shows literary use in a formal context.)

• Фильм пугал меня всю ночь. (Film pugal menya vsyu noch'.)

  The movie scared me all night. (Illustrates informal, everyday fear in a casual setting.)

• Его слова шокировали аудиторию. (Yego slova shokirovali auditoriyu.)

  His words shocked the audience. (Demonstrates use in a neutral, public-speaking context.)

• Призрак в доме ужасал детей. (Prizrak v dome uzhasal detey.)

  The ghost in the house horrified the children. (Highlights use with plural subjects and supernatural themes.)

• Она пыталась пугать друзей шутками. (Ona pytalas' pugat' druzey shutkami.)

  She tried to scare her friends with jokes. (Shows imperfective aspect in playful, repeated actions.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

All key translations are verbs, primarily imperfective, and follow standard Russian conjugation patterns. They are first-conjugation verbs with regular inflections, but 'ужаса́ть' and 'пугать' can have aspectual pairs (e.g., perfective forms). Below is a table for the present tense of 'ужаса́ть' as an example; similar patterns apply to others.

For 'пугать': Similar conjugation, e.g., 1st sg: пуга́ю (pugayu). It has a perfective pair 'испуга́ть' (ispugat'). 'Шоки́ровать' is regular but less commonly inflected in past tenses due to its borrowed nature; past tense: шокирова́л (shokiroval).

If the verb is used in perfective aspect (e.g., 'испуга́ть' for 'пугать'), it changes for completed actions, but these translations are generally imperfective for ongoing fear.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • пугать (pugát') - Similar to 'horrify' but milder; often used interchangeably in informal settings.
  • страши́ть (strashít') - Emphasizes terror; more poetic and less common.
• Antonyms:
  • успока́ивать (uspokaívat') - To calm or soothe, directly opposing fear induction.
  • радовать (radovat') - To delight or please, contrasting with negative emotions.

Related Phrases:

• ужасать до сме́рти (uzhasat' do smerti) - To scare to death; used hyperbolically for extreme fear.
• пугать при́зраком (pugát' prizrakom) - To scare with a ghost; common in folklore or stories.
• шоки́ровать обще́ством (shokirovat' obshchestvom) - To shock society; refers to events that outrage public norms.

Usage Notes:

'Horrify' corresponds most closely to 'ужаса́ть' in formal English-Russian translations, especially in literary or intense contexts, while 'пугать' is better for everyday scares. Be mindful of aspect: Russian verbs often require perfective/imperfective pairs, so 'ужаса́ть' implies ongoing action, whereas its perfective 'испуга́ть' denotes a completed event. In informal speech, 'пугать' is preferred to avoid sounding overly dramatic. When choosing among translations, consider the audience: 'шоки́ровать' works well for modern, urban scenarios due to its foreign origin, making it less archaic than 'ужаса́ть'.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Using 'ужаса́ть' in casual conversation, e.g., saying "Я ужасал друга" instead of "Я пугал друга." Correct: 'Пугал' is more appropriate for informal contexts; 'ужаса́ть' sounds overly formal and may confuse listeners.
• Mistake: Forgetting verb aspect, e.g., using 'пугать' for a completed action like "Я пугал его вчера" when it should be 'испуга́л' for a finished scare. Explanation: Russian requires aspect to convey completion, so learners must pair verbs correctly to avoid ambiguity in tense.
• Mistake: Mispronouncing stress, e.g., stressing the wrong syllable in 'ужаса́ть' as 'УЖАсатъ.' Correct: Always stress the second syllable; this can alter the word's perceived intensity.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'ужаса́ть' often appear in literature and folklore, such as in stories by Pushkin or modern horror films, reflecting a deep-seated fascination with fear and the supernatural. This ties into Russia's rich tradition of dark fairy tales, where horror elements serve to explore moral lessons, making 'horrify' translations more nuanced in emotional depth compared to everyday English usage.

Related Concepts:

• страх (strakh) - Fear
• у́жас (uzhas) - Horror
• шок (shok) - Shock