terrorise (terrorises, present participle terrorising; past and past participle terrorised) (British spelling, transitive)

1. To inflict someone with terror; to terrify.
   • 1922 February, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare & Co.; Sylvia Beach, OCLC 560090630 ↗; republished London: Published for the Egoist Press, London by John Rodker, Paris, October 1922, OCLC 2297483 ↗:

     , Episode 16

     Though unusual in the Dublin area he knew that it was not by any means unknown for desperadoes who had next to nothing to live on to be abroad waylaying and generally terrorising peaceable pedestrians by placing a pistol at their head…

2. To coerce (someone) by using threats or violence.

• (fill with terror) petrify, terrify
• (coerce by threats or violence) bully, hector

• terrorism
• terrorist