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

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

Examples of frightening in a Sentence

a truly frightening movie

Recent Examples on the Web

As the frightening futures foretold grow nearer, the details are also growing more precise. —Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

Josh Allen overcame a frightening moment in the first quarter to lead the Buffalo Bills to a dominant victory over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025

Instead, the video reveals that our daughter was threatened by the officer, and in panic, attempted to slowly drive away from the frightening situation. —Harry Harris, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

Interestingly, Lorraine has taught Judy to ward off her frightening visions by using a nursery rhyme, effectively teaching her to suppress her dark side. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

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