Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'terrify'

English Word: terrify

Key Russian Translations:

• пугать [puˈɡatʲ] - [Informal, Imperfective aspect, commonly used in everyday speech]
• испугать [ɪsˈpuɡatʲ] - [Formal, Perfective aspect, used for completed actions]
• терроризировать [tʲɪrərʲɪˈzɪrəvətʲ] - [Formal, Literary or intense contexts, implying systematic fear]

Frequency: Medium (The verb is commonly encountered in conversational Russian, literature, and media, but not as ubiquitous as basic verbs like "быть" or "идти".)

Difficulty: B1 (Intermediate; requires understanding of verb aspects and basic conjugations. For 'пугать', it's straightforward; for 'терроризировать', it may lean towards B2 due to its loanword nature and formal usage.)

Pronunciation (Russian):

пугать: [puˈɡatʲ]

испугать: [ɪsˈpuɡatʲ]

терроризировать: [tʲɪrərʲɪˈzɪrəvətʲ]

Note on пугать: The stress is on the second syllable ('ga'), and the 'г' is pronounced as a voiced velar fricative. Be cautious with the soft sign 'ть' at the end, which affects the preceding consonant.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

To cause someone to feel extreme fear or terror.

Translation(s) & Context:

• пугать - Used in informal settings to describe scaring someone momentarily, such as in stories or pranks.
• испугать - Applied in contexts where fear is sudden and complete, often in narratives or formal descriptions.
• терроризировать - Reserved for intense, prolonged fear, like in political or psychological contexts.

Usage Examples:

• Этот фильм пугает меня каждый раз, когда я его смотрю.

  This movie terrifies me every time I watch it. (Demonstrates habitual fear in casual conversation.)

• Его громкий крик испугал всех в комнате.

  His loud scream terrified everyone in the room. (Shows a sudden, perfective action in a real-life scenario.)

• Тирания может терроризировать целые общества на протяжении веков.

  Tyranny can terrify entire societies for centuries. (Illustrates formal, abstract usage in historical or social contexts.)

• Она пугает детей, чтобы они слушались, но это неэффективно.

  She terrifies the children to make them obey, but it's ineffective. (Highlights imperfective aspect in parenting or disciplinary contexts.)

• Война испугала жителей города, заставив их бежать.

  The war terrified the city's residents, forcing them to flee. (Emphasizes emotional impact in a dramatic, narrative setting.)

Russian Forms/Inflections:

For 'пугать' and 'испугать', both are verbs of the first conjugation with aspectual pairs. 'Пугать' is imperfective, while 'испугать' is perfective. 'Терроризировать' follows standard verb patterns as a loanword.

Key inflections for 'пугать' (imperfective):

For 'испугать' (perfective), it is often used in past or future perfective forms and does not have a full present tense paradigm. Example: испугаю (I will scare). 'Терроризировать' conjugates regularly: терроризирую, терроризирует, etc.

These verbs are regular, with no major irregularities, but aspect choice is key in Russian grammar.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms:
  • пугливый (puglivyy) - More about being easily frightened, with a nuance of timidity.
  • напугать (napugat') - Similar to 'испугать', emphasizing sudden fear.
  • встревожить (vstrevoshit') - Implies worry or agitation, often less intense.
• Antonyms:
  • успокаивать (uspokaivat') - To calm or soothe.
  • ободрять (obodryat') - To encourage or reassure.

Related Phrases:

• пугать до смерти - To scare to death (literally or figuratively; used for extreme fear in dramatic contexts).
• испугать насмерть - To frighten to the point of paralysis (emphasizes overwhelming shock).
• терроризировать народ - To terrorize the people (common in historical or political discussions, implying oppression).

Usage Notes:

In Russian, 'terrify' often corresponds to 'пугать' for ongoing actions and 'испугать' for completed ones, reflecting the language's aspect system. Choose 'терроризировать' for formal or intense scenarios to match English's connotation of terror. Be mindful of context: in everyday speech, 'пугать' is informal and versatile, while 'терроризировать' carries a weightier, sometimes negative, implication. Grammatically, these verbs require agreement with the subject and object in gender, number, and case where applicable.

Common Errors:

• Mistake: Confusing aspects, e.g., using 'пугать' when a completed action is needed. Incorrect: "Я пугал его вчера" (implying ongoing action). Correct: "Я испугал его вчера" (for a finished event). Explanation: Russian verbs have perfective and imperfective forms; misuse can alter the intended meaning.
• Mistake: Overusing 'терроризировать' in casual contexts. Incorrect: "Этот фильм терроризирует меня" (too formal). Correct: "Этот фильм пугает меня" (more natural). Explanation: This word is borrowed from English/French and feels out of place in everyday talk.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, words like 'пугать' often appear in folklore and literature, such as in fairy tales where characters are scared by supernatural elements (e.g., Baba Yaga). This reflects a broader cultural theme of dealing with fear through storytelling, emphasizing resilience and humor in the face of terror.

Related Concepts:

• страх (fear)
• ужас (horror)
• тревога (anxiety)