Terror is an overwhelming feeling of extreme fear that seems to take control of your body and mind. It's more intense than ordinary fear: when you feel terror, your heart pounds, your thoughts race, and you might freeze or panic completely. Someone might experience terror when facing immediate danger, like being caught in a sudden fire or confronting a wild animal.

While fear makes you cautious, terror can make you feel helpless or paralyzed. A scary movie might give you a few frights, but real terror is what you'd feel if you suddenly found yourself truly in danger.

Terror can also describe something that causes this intense fear. People might call a particularly frightening storm or disaster a terror. When someone is described as terror-stricken or terrorized, they're experiencing this extreme fear.

The word appears in history when discussing violence meant to create widespread fear in communities or populations. Throughout time, rulers and groups have used terror as a weapon, trying to control people by making them afraid. This kind of deliberate violence meant to frighten people is called terrorism, and those who use it are called terrorists.