terrifying

adjective

ter·​ri·​fy·​ing ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ 

ˈte-rə-

1

: causing terror or apprehension

2

: of a formidable nature

terrifyingly adverb

Synonyms

• frightening
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of terrifying in a Sentence

The thought of dying alone was terrifying.

heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room

Recent Examples on the Web

The previous version of the immersive attraction brought guests face to face with the terrifying flickering TV screen, the menacing beast from beyond, and the pool filled with floating corpses. —Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Girlie joins a team of content moderators who are mostly women of color, swiping through terrifying scenes at the company’s offices in Las Vegas for enough money to keep their families afloat. —Sarah Rose Etter, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2025

Rather than playing with the achromatic aesthetic of the terrifying teenager, Ortega and Inglessis focused on nude, earth tones. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2025

Rife announced in a TikTok video over the weekend that the plan is to allow overnights in the terrifying place as a thrill to paranormal community. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for terrifying

• amplifying
• beautifying
• certifying
• clarifying
• classifying
• codifying
• crucifying
• edifying
• falsifying
• fortifying
• glorifying
• gratifying