Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with nouns

Of terror or on terror?

Of terror is common in descriptive phrases such as a feeling of terror. On terror is uncommon by itself but appears in fixed expressions like war on terror.

Quick answer

Which phrase is natural?

Use of terror when terror describes a feeling, effect, or subject. On terror is not generally used alone, but it appears in set phrases such as war on terror or books on terror.

She screamed in a moment of terror.
His face showed signs of terror.
The government expanded its war on terror policies.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
of terror

Feelings, signs, or effects

Use of terror after nouns that describe emotion, reaction, or subject matter.

The child cried out in fear of terror.
There were clear signs of terror in the crowd.
2
on terror

Fixed expressions with on

On terror usually appears after another noun, especially in political or academic expressions.

The documentary examined the war on terror.
She published a study on terror in modern fiction.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
of terror
The victims lived in constant fear of terror.
terror as an emotion or subject
on terror
The article on terror focused on media coverage.
terror as the topic of discussion
war on terror
The phrase war on terror became widely known after 2001.
fixed political expression

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using on terror as a general emotional phrase

Use of terror for emotions and reactions.

✕ He was shaking on terror. ✓ He was shaking with terror.

Using of terror for topics after study or article

After nouns like study, report, or article, on is often used for the topic.

✕ She wrote a book of terror in cinema. ✓ She wrote a book on terror in cinema.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. His eyes were wide with fear ___ terror.
2. The professor gave a lecture ___ terror in literature.
3. The phrase ___ terror became common in political news.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is on terror correct by itself?

Usually it appears after another noun, such as article on terror or war on terror.

When should I use of terror?

Use it in phrases about feelings, signs, causes, or effects involving terror.

Can I say with terror?

Yes. Expressions like shaking with terror are very common.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account