frightening

adjective

fright·​en·​ing ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce frightening (audio)
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.

Examples of frightening in a Sentence

a truly frightening movie
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ensuing action is gory and frightening — and even Wong got a little spooked by Hawkins. Eric Andersson, People.com, 31 May 2025 This is incredibly damaging to career prospects and, given how little knowledge exists in mainstream medical and occupational health circles, can feel confusing and frightening for those who don’t know where to turn for advice. Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 Though he’s fought off zombies for years, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is now facing something even more frightening: a group of globe-trotting reality-TV contestants on NBC‘s Destination X. Claire Franken, TVLine, 27 May 2025 So there is no sense of privacy, and this gaze on us is inescapable, ubiquitous and frightening. Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for frightening

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of frighten

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightening was in 1652

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightening. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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