as in terrifying
causing fear
a truly frightening movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightening
Rachel Blaser, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
The firings of all of these federal government workers is very frightening and concerning.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
The key, psychologists say, is the emotional weight of those headlines’ content—especially for people who find what’s happening in the U.S. today to be genuinely frightening.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2025
Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
Adjective
Owners also can use behavioral treatments to reward the dogs for staying calm and relaxed around things that seem frightening.
—Rachel Blaser, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2025
The firings of all of these federal government workers is very frightening and concerning.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2025
The key, psychologists say, is the emotional weight of those headlines’ content—especially for people who find what’s happening in the U.S. today to be genuinely frightening.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Feb. 2025
Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightening
Adjective
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Despite the terrifying incidinet, only eight passengers were on board at the time, and no one sustained serious injuries.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
14 Mar. 2025
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Tran swears that having a physical manifestation to interact with is why the terrifying sequences work.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a lot to love with Tuten and his ceiling is super high, but the floor is extremely scary because of his fumbles.—
Steve Bradshaw,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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The incident was so scary that cameras didn't show Goldsmith on the ice being tended by trainers.—
Ryan Canfield,
Fox News,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Although generally painted as having underperformed in Ukraine, Russia's air force would still be formidable.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jung-bae wound up in a room of three, with Player 001 and some rando — but Player 001 choked the stranger to death in time to reduce their head count, shocking Jung-bae more than a bit.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
26 Dec. 2024
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Fox News Digital obtained shocking audio between Cyrus and his estranged wife where the country crooner is heard berating his Australian ex and using profane language.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The tech giant had a horrible week, off nearly 11% in the period despite Friday’s relief bounce.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
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This is really happening and these horrible things are happening and that this person doesn't want to be happening.—
Patrick Gomez,
EW.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Since then, however, Wells Fargo has pulled back roughly 18%, as of the close on Monday, which continued a terrible recent stretch for the overall market due to economic uncertainty stemming from concern about the impact of President Donald Trump ‘s tariffs.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
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The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Bay Area news outlets have reported dozens of Jewish families transferring their children out of Oakland’s public schools because of the intimidating, antisemitic school environment.—
Mark Cohen,
The Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2025
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While these strengths are impressive and somewhat intimidating, human workers are not without their own robust capabilities that AI systems cannot easily replicate: Creativity and imagination.—
Brent Dykes,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightening. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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