as in frightening
causing fear
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of terrifying
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 19 June 2025
Iran, for its part, has launched barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, terrifying civilians, causing some extensive damage, killing nearly 30 people and wounding hundreds more.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
To reach Mars, future astronauts will need to maintain uncommon levels of cheer in situations both terrifying and boring.
—Erin Berger, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
The situation felt both exciting and terrifying to Corfman.
—Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
While setting off on a mission to find other inhabitable planets, astronaut pilot Brianna Young (Lashana Lynch) and her team of space explorers crash land on Tau Ceti f—a real exoplanet in the Tau Ceti star system—where they are hunted by a terrifying extraterrestrial that can mimic its prey.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 19 June 2025
Iran, for its part, has launched barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, terrifying civilians, causing some extensive damage, killing nearly 30 people and wounding hundreds more.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 June 2025
To reach Mars, future astronauts will need to maintain uncommon levels of cheer in situations both terrifying and boring.
—Erin Berger, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
The situation felt both exciting and terrifying to Corfman.
—Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
-
How to check food labels for allergies Howard's story is frightening and not entirely uncommon.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
-
The frightening incident unfolded aboard Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on June 8.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2025
-
Is 'Jaws' the scariest film of all time? Watch it once or hundreds of times and the scare seems fresh every time, says Dawn Keetley, editor of the journal Horror Studies and professor of English and film at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Krishnamurthi is also a star cricket player for the U.S. senior national team, a contributor to their recent run of strong form that included a win over a formidable Pakistan team in the T20 World Cup last year.—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
12 June 2025
-
Soon after, he was joined by his brother, Tonga Loa, creating a formidable new tag team within the group.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
And in addition to the swing itself, his overall approach at the plate has always been horrible.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
With guidance from Benny’s older sister and her campus-legend boyfriend, Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
For example, while the IRA rollback effort will inevitably mean a significant reduction in U.S. federal support for electric vehicles, nevertheless the adoption of EVs continued in Q1 even despite a terrible quarter for the U.S.’s leading brand (Tesla).—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Its profoundly intimidating core cast come together as the white-hot heart of an espionage love story.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2025
-
Unlike other squirrel-proof bird feeders, this one is ideal for small birds and won’t attract bigger, more intimidating birds like ravens, eagles, grackles, or black birds.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share