1
as in terrifying
causing fear
couldn't sleep after reading a horrifying tale of evil a horrifying scream brought people running from all directions to see what was wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the horrifying sight of a rat running through the restaurant's kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrifying
Adjective
-
To cut yourself off from people is to lose your connection and way in a glorious, terrifying world.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025 -
Audio and video deepfakes created with generative AI tools add a new, terrifying wrinkle to scam spotting.—
Kim Key,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
For some, watching the film might seem like a gruesome voyeuristic act, even if the scene in question is not a part of the final cut.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
The militant group that has controlled Gaza since 2007 killed 1,200 people in Israel and took hundreds hostage that day in a series of gruesome attacks.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Mellencamp's frightening diagnosis, though, hasn't stopped her resolve.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
The zombies are terrifying, and every situation our heroes find themselves in is a horrific, life-or-death struggle.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
The fact that, in 2013, Ulman survived a horrific bus crash that left her with permanent disabilities has also played a role in her process.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
Every celebrity — no matter how small — had at least one stalker or someone obsessed with them, and no fan was creepier or scarier than the ones obsessed with child stars.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
14 May 2025
-
Here’s a scary scenario: You’ve been put in charge of air traffic control at Newark airport near New York.—
Steve Nadis,
Quanta Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
The size of his collection is shocking: A Long Beach resident is using social media to chronicle his mission to amass the world’s largest VHS collection of the 1999 film starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
-
May 5, 2025: Leo attends his first Met Gala (which is kind of shocking in and of itself) alongside Ceretti, who made her Met Gala debut in 2021.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
14 May 2025
-
Jurors viewed for a fifth time in two days the video footage of the horrible beating that followed.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
The renowned American sculptor was more accessible at a smaller scale with a formidable presence at TEFAF New York.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
-
Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Cobb brings a formidable and unique resume to WWE, built across multiple major promotions.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share