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

Cockpit alarms blared as two Delta Air Lines jets narrowly avoided each other over Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during a frightening near miss now under federal investigation. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

His solution was to ride at a frightening pace from the outset of stages, hoping to shed his rival from his back wheel — an approach that rewarded him with king of the mountains points throughout the Tour’s final week. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026

The most frightening scenario to many officials on both sides of the border is that the United States might use Rocha’s case as a pretext to strike Mexico. — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

The Other Mommy trailer, which is now available online after playing before The Odyssey on its opening weekend in theaters, is both ridiculous and frightening. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 July 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