strike fear, terror, etc. into somebody/somebody's heart
strike fear into (one)
To frighten, terrify, or horrify someone. While rather impractical and ineffective in combat, the use of flamethrowers in World War II was very effective at striking fear into civilians and enemy soldiers alike. The recent epidemic has struck fear into countries around the world.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
strike ˌfear, ˌterror, etc. into somebody/somebody’s ˈheart
(formal) make somebody feel fear, terror, etc: His crimes struck horror into the nation’s heart.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
- strike fear into (one)
- strike terror into (one)
- strike fear into (one's) heart
- strike terror into (one's) heart
- strike terror into the heart of (someone)
- strike fear into the heart of (someone)
- make (one's)/the hair stand up on the back of (one's) neck
- frighten the horses
- scare the pants off
- scare, bore, etc. the pants off somebody