τρομάζω
Lemma: τρομάζω
Translation: to frighten; to scare; to terrify; to startle; to alarm (verb)
Etymology: From ancient Greek τρόμος (tromos) meaning 'trembling, fear, terror', which is related to the verb τρέμω (tremo) 'to tremble'. The root is cognate with Latin tremere and English 'tremble', 'tremor', and 'tremendous'. The suffix -άζω is a common Greek verb-forming ending that creates causative verbs, so τρομάζω literally means 'to cause trembling or fear'. This connection to trembling makes the word memorable as fear physically manifests as shaking.
Mnemonics
- Think 'trauma' - both words relate to shock and fear
- Remember 'tremble' - when you're scared, you tremble
- TROM-azo sounds like 'TRAUMA-zo' - causing trauma through fear
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Commonly used in everyday Greek to describe both mild startling (like jumping at a sudden noise) and more serious frightening situations. Often used with children when talking about scary movies, loud noises, or when someone jumps out to surprise them.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: τρέμω means 'to tremble' (intransitive - you do it yourself), while τρομάζω means 'to frighten' (transitive - you do it to someone else)
Confused word:
Τρέμω από το κρύο.
I'm trembling from the cold.
Notes: Both come from the same root but have different grammatical functions - one causes fear, the other expresses the physical reaction
Mnemonic: τρομάζω has the -άζω ending which makes it causative (making others tremble), τρέμω is what you do yourself