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
However, Smith mesmerized Capote, and in a deeply terrifying way.
—
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
The latest book picks up where the Heated Rivalry sequel, The Long Game, left off, with Shane and Ilya's relationship entering an exciting — and terrifying — new stage.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Pregnancy and birth carry its own battles and terrifying statistics.
—Wunmi Mosaku, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2026
The first stop on this retrospective journey is the Cold War, a time marked by scientific breakthroughs that were both awesome and terrifying.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
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.
Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
The latest book picks up where the Heated Rivalry sequel, The Long Game, left off, with Shane and Ilya's relationship entering an exciting — and terrifying — new stage.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
Pregnancy and birth carry its own battles and terrifying statistics.
—Wunmi Mosaku, Vogue, 11 Jan. 2026
The first stop on this retrospective journey is the Cold War, a time marked by scientific breakthroughs that were both awesome and terrifying.
—Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 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 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share