frightening

1 of 2

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.

frightening

2 of 2

present participle of frighten

Synonyms of frightening

Adjective

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

Examples of frightening in a Sentence

Adjective

a truly frightening movie

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And because cognition is so closely tied to a person’s sense of competence and identity, those changes can be surprisingly frightening. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026

Belief and skepticism clash, but lingering beneath the argument is something strange and frightening — and that something is getting closer. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

But the ordeal was frightening and bewildering for Cliffel, who still didn't know what had caused her behavior. — Deborah Becker, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026

There’s a frightening imbalance in how the mainstream media report on these candidates, which tends to take it pretty easy on the latter. — Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of frighten

First Known Use

Adjective

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for frightening

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