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 terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video. —Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025

When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025

That terrifying consequence alone is sufficient to discredit the executive order. —Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2025

Leading the slate is The Honeymoon Murder: Who Killed Anni Dewani?, exploring the terrifying death of the woman who didn’t survive her honeymoon. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 June 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