frightening

adjective

fright·​en·​ing ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈfrīt-niŋ

: causing fear

frightening news

a very frightening experience

The man with red eyes made the frightening grimace that passed for his smile.

—Madeleine L'Engle

For a man who had tussled with crocs, venomous snakes and other frightening creatures, this was going to be a leisurely swim.

—Jennifer Wulff et al.

Synonyms of frightening

• terrifying
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of frightening in a Sentence

a truly frightening movie

Recent Examples on the Web

The hypocrisy is stunning, and frightening. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026

Climbers die at a frightening rate, but the deaths are almost always ascribed to errors and accidents. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

For many, however, reductions in health care insurance make this a frightening time of life. — Nancy K. Schlossberg, USA Today, 26 June 2026

Thoughts of those frightening weeks in the early spring of 2024, and the months that followed, are never far away. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of frighten

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frightening

• brightening
• heightening
• lightening
• tightening
• whitening
• enlightening