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 risk of crew loss during the Apollo moon missions was a rather frightening 1 in 10, according to the OIG report. —Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 Mar. 2026

The response was swift and, according to Zegler, frightening. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026

The diagnosis was frightening for the then-sophomore suddenly facing months of chemotherapy at Children's Hospital Colorado. —Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026

Mamdani had high praise for the newest class of recruits, even with the city on edge over a frightening crime being prosecuted as a terrorist act. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 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