terrifying
adjective
ter·ri·fy·ing
ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ 
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
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground Friday.
—
Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.
—Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
In Michigan, Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.
—Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
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Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Seeing the wall police breached to give people inside the club a chance to get out, or the bathrooms and dressing rooms where people hid, prayed for survival or reached out to family and friends carries an impact that spells out this nation’s terrifying vulnerability to gun violence.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.
—Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
In Michigan, Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.
—Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrifying. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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