frightful

adjective

fright·​ful ˈfrīt-fəl How to pronounce frightful (audio)
1
: causing intense fear or alarm : terrifying
2
: startling especially in being bad or objectionable
a frightful novel
3
: extreme
frightful thirst
frightfully adverb
frightfulness noun

Examples of frightful in a Sentence

As he fell, he let out a frightful scream. a frightful illness that causes extreme pain The children made a frightful mess of the kitchen. Many critics have expressed shock at the song's frightful lyrics.
Recent Examples on the Web Oh the weather outside may be frightful, but the performances at iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2023 in Los Angeles on Friday night sure were delightful. EW.com, 2 Dec. 2023 But dinner, work, and parenting responsibilities don’t get put on hold for the kids' winter break—and the weather in many parts of the country is starting to get frightful. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 18 Dec. 2023 The Hamas incursion, in which more people died violently in Israel in a single day than ever before in the turbulent history of the state, is frightful. Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 10 Oct. 2023 When the weather is too frightful to commute to the gym, having the right gear at home can help a lot. Ian Salisbury, wsj.com, 14 Nov. 2023 The weather outside is about to get frightful, and doesn’t that make a warmer weather vacation sound so delightful? Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023 Some of the biggest food brands have spooky steals and frightful freebies before and on Halloween. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 15 Oct. 2023 From frightful to adorable, these one-and-done decorations are perfect for the season. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 4 Oct. 2023 Purple flags are flying from Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Panama City, Florida, due to the reappearance of a frightful new species of jellyfish known as pink meanies. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frightful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightful was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near frightful

Cite this Entry

“Frightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frightful

adjective
fright·​ful ˈfrīt-fəl How to pronounce frightful (audio)
1
: causing fear or alarm
2
: causing shock or horror
a frightful novel
3
: very strong
a frightful thirst
frightfully adverb
frightfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on frightful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!