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

New bodycam video released by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office shows some tense and frightening moments as a deputy and a suspect in a minivan were involved in a gun battle in Southwest Miami-Dade, resulting in the suspect's death. —Peter D'oench, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025

There is some violence, frightening scenes that may be intense for very young viewers and suggestions of drinking alcohol. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 28 Nov. 2025

And to see the dissolution of integrity that’s happened now is very frightening to me. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 26 Nov. 2025

The progress, while captivating to some, is understandably frightening to many others. —Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 25 Nov. 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