terrifying

adjective

ter·​ri·​fy·​ing ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ 

ˈte-rə-

1

: causing terror or apprehension

2

: of a formidable nature

terrifyingly adverb

Synonyms of terrifying

• frightening
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of terrifying in a Sentence

The thought of dying alone was terrifying.

heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room

Recent Examples on the Web

In the clip, a young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) is back in the Upside Down, where he was sent in Season 1, and he’s being stalked by its terrifying monsters. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025

What impostor bank scams look like Scammers pretending to be from your bank follow a predictable yet terrifying pattern. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025

And after the stranger finally emerges, Judith’s life becomes entangled with his own in a terrifying way. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

But as old tensions flare between them, Katie begins to experience terrifying visions and a ghostly presence warning of something sinister lurking aboard. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for terrifying

• amplifying
• beautifying
• certifying
• clarifying
• classifying
• codifying
• crucifying
• edifying
• falsifying
• fortifying
• glorifying
• gratifying