terrifying

adjective

ter·​ri·​fy·​ing ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ How to pronounce terrifying (audio)
ˈte-rə-
1
: causing terror or apprehension
2
: of a formidable nature
terrifyingly adverb

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 Understanding market history helps – while each crisis feels unique and terrifying in the moment, volatility and downturns are normal parts of the market cycle. Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Tasha and Dakota Adams describe the peak Oath Keeper years of 2016 to 2018 as a chaotic, terrifying regime under the Rhodes dictatorship. Will Carless, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024 With women’s health, there’s a tendency to take tiny risks and make them into terrifying headlines without carefully considering the benefits of treatment, the risk of alternatives, or the risk of not using the treatment. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 28 Oct. 2024 Depp plays the boyfriend of Heather Langenkamp's Nancy in the terrifying movie, fighting against Freddy Krueger. James Mercadante, EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for terrifying 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrifying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrifying was circa 1586

Dictionary Entries Near terrifying

Cite this Entry

“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrifying. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on terrifying

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