Russian Translation(s) & Details for 'terror'

English Word: terror

Key Russian Translations:

• террор [tʲɪˈrɔr] - [Formal, Used in contexts of political or historical events]
• ужас [ˈuʐəs] - [Informal, Plural possible as 'ужасы', Used in everyday emotional descriptions]

Frequency: Medium (both translations are encountered in news, literature, and conversation, but not as common as basic vocabulary).

Difficulty: B2 for 'террор' (intermediate, due to its association with abstract and political concepts); A2 for 'ужас' (elementary, as it's a straightforward emotional term).

Pronunciation (Russian):

террор: [tʲɪˈrɔr] (The stress is on the second syllable; the 'т' is palatalized, which is a common feature in Russian.)

ужас: [ˈuʐəs] (The initial 'у' is pronounced as a back vowel; note the soft 'ж' sound, which can be tricky for beginners.)

Note on ужас: This word often has a rolled 'р' in some dialects, but standard pronunciation uses a clear [ʐ] sound. Pay attention to the vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

Audio: []

Meanings and Usage:

Meaning 1: Intense fear or fright (e.g., emotional state)

Translation(s) & Context:

• ужас - Used in informal or literary contexts to describe overwhelming fear, such as in horror stories or personal experiences.

Usage Examples:

• Внезапный гром разбудил меня среди ночи, и я почувствовал ужас. (Vnezapnyy grom razbudil menya sredi nochi, i ya pochuvstvoval uzhas.)

  Sudden thunder woke me up in the middle of the night, and I felt terror.

• Её лицо исказилось от ужаса при виде призрака. (Yeyo litso iskazilos' ot uzhasa pri vide prizarka.)

  Her face contorted with terror at the sight of the ghost.

• Ужас войны оставил неизгладимый след в его душе. (Uzhas voyny ostavil nezagladiyy sled v yego dushe.)

  The terror of war left an indelible mark on his soul.

• Дети кричали от ужаса во время аттракциона. (Deti krichali ot uzhasa vo vremya attraktsiona.)

  The children screamed in terror during the ride.

Meaning 2: Systematic violence or terrorism (e.g., political context)

Translation(s) & Context:

• террор - Used in formal, historical, or news contexts to refer to acts of terror, such as state-sponsored violence or extremist activities.

Usage Examples:

• История полна примеров террора, который сеял страх среди населения. (Istoriya polna primerov terrora, kotoryy seyal strakh sredi naseleniya.)

  History is full of examples of terror that spread fear among the population.

• Правительство ввело меры против террора после серии атак. (Pravitel'stvo vvelo mery protiv terrora posle serii atakov.)

  The government introduced measures against terror after a series of attacks.

• Террор в годы революции изменил ход истории. (Terror v gody revolyutsii izmenil khod istorii.)

  Terror during the years of the revolution changed the course of history.

• Международные организации борются с глобальным террором. (Mezhdunarodnye organizatsii borutsya s global'nym terrorom.)

  International organizations are fighting against global terror.

Russian Forms/Inflections:

Both 'террор' and 'ужас' are masculine nouns in Russian, which means they follow standard noun declension patterns. 'Террор' is often used in singular form and has minimal inflection due to its borrowed nature, while 'ужас' inflects regularly across cases and numbers.

Note: 'Террор' is less commonly inflected in plural forms as it often refers to a general concept, whereas 'ужас' frequently appears in plural to denote multiple instances of fear.

Russian Synonyms/Antonyms:

• Synonyms for ужас: страх (strakh - fear), паника (panika - panic), кошмар (koshmar - nightmare). Note: 'Страх' is more general and less intense than 'ужас'.
• Synonyms for террор: насилие (nasiliye - violence), репрессии (repressii - repressions), intimidation (but this is a direct borrow).
• Antonyms for ужас: спокойствие (spokoystvo - calmness), уверенность (uverenost' - confidence).
• Antonyms for террор: мир (mir - peace), стабильность (stabil'nost' - stability). Note: These antonyms highlight the oppositional nature in political contexts.

Related Phrases:

• Ужас войны (Uzhas voyny) - The terror of war; a phrase used to describe the horrors of conflict.
• Государственный террор (Gosudarstvennyy terror) - State terror; refers to government-sponsored violence, often in historical discussions.
• Вызывать ужас (Vyzvyvat' uzhas) - To cause terror; used in narratives to describe something frightening.

Usage Notes:

'Террор' directly corresponds to the English 'terror' in political or violent contexts and is typically formal, avoiding casual conversation. In contrast, 'ужас' aligns more with emotional terror and can be used in everyday language. When choosing between translations, consider the context: use 'террор' for organized violence and 'ужас' for personal fear. Grammatically, both nouns require appropriate case agreement with prepositions, e.g., 'от ужаса' (from terror). Be mindful of the word's connotations in Russian media, where it might evoke specific historical events like the Soviet era.

Common Errors:

• Error: Using 'террор' interchangeably with 'ужас' in emotional contexts, e.g., saying 'Я чувствую террор' instead of 'Я чувствую ужас'. Correct: 'Я чувствую ужас' – Explanation: 'Террор' implies systematic violence, not personal emotion, which can make the sentence sound unnatural.

• Error: Incorrect inflection, such as using 'ужасa' (wrong genitive) instead of 'ужаса'. Correct: 'Страх от ужаса' – Explanation: Russian nouns must follow proper declension to maintain grammatical agreement.

Cultural Notes:

In Russian culture, 'террор' often references historical events like the Red Terror during the Russian Revolution, symbolizing state repression and fear. This adds a layer of political weight to the word, making it more than just a synonym for fear—it's tied to national history and collective memory, which can influence its usage in modern discussions.

Related Concepts:

• страх
• насилие
• революция