Vocabulary
겁에 질리다
be terrified, be frozen with fear
Meaning
겁에 질리다: “be terrified,” “be gripped by fear,” with fear strong enough to dominate the person’s reaction.
Why this form?
무서워하다 — “be afraid of / fear”: expresses ordinary fear toward something or someone; 겁에 질리다 indicates a much stronger degree.
겁먹다 — “get scared / be frightened”: describes becoming afraid, often colloquially; 겁에 질리다 more clearly evokes a state of terror gripping the person.
Forms not to confuse
무서워하다
아이는 큰 개를 무서워해요. — The child is afraid of big dogs.
겁먹다
그 소리를 듣고 겁먹었어요. — I got scared when I heard that sound.
Examples
나처럼 겁에 질리고 혼란스러운 사람일지도 모른다. — Maybe it is someone who is terrified and confused like me.
아이는 겁에 질려 움직이지 못했어요. — The child was too terrified to move.