hair-raising

adjective

hair-rais·​ing ˈher-ˌrā-ziŋ How to pronounce hair-raising (audio)
: causing terror, excitement, or astonishment
hair-raising stories
hair-raisingly adverb

Examples of hair-raising in a Sentence

hair-raising stories of headless corpses and disembodied screams a theme park that is legendary for its lightning-fast roller-coaster and other hair-raising rides
Recent Examples on the Web Oh, there are plenty of opportunity for that: Feliz says the season only gets more hair-raising from here. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024 The reason this seems hair-raising is that most generative AI is devised to wait for the human to initiate a conversation. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 Among them were experienced mountaineers accustomed to steep terrain where any fall could be fatal, and casual hikers who had never before attempted to climb anything as hair-raising. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024 The players’ recounted exploits are at once hair-raising, nostalgic and moving. Drew Goins, Washington Post, 31 July 2024 But Schlosser’s gifts as a storyteller lend his book a visceral quality, such that every successive accident or close call feels more hair-raising than the last. Gregory D. Koblentz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013 Formula 1: On and Off the Track Still a Thrill: Monaco’s narrow track hinders overtaking, but, oh boy, do those tight roads make qualifying hair-raising. Ian Parkes, New York Times, 23 May 2024 The going was beautiful but slow and a little hair-raising as day turned to night. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024 The drive had been hair-raising (though nothing compared to a later jaunt on Hiva Oa, where Gauguin is buried, during which our guide Heimata played a ukulele while skirting the edge of a cliff and steering with his knee). Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hair-raising.' 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

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair-raising was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near hair-raising

Cite this Entry

“Hair-raising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair-raising. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hair-raising

adjective
hair-rais·​ing
-ˌrā-ziŋ
: very frightening or exciting
a hair-raising story
hair-raisingly
-ziŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hair-raising

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