affrighting

verb

present participle of affright
as in frightening
to strike with fear a ghastly sight that would affright any person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affrighting
  1. frightening
  2. scaring
  3. terrifying
  4. startling
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Such actions are scaring people away from coming to court, whether as witnesses, defendants or observers, Bonta said, and amount to a blatant abuse of power.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Longhorns aren't scaring anyone on offense and Sarkisian has come under fire for his play calling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • Set nearly two decades after the previous installment, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) faces the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge and betrayal lurks in every shadow.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Though privacy concerns around these agents’ access may be terrifying in their own right, for now the utopian vision seems to be winning.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The unpredictable motion scares them off, startling them and throwing them off balance.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of startling
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.

Browse Nearby Words

affrighted
affrighting
affrights
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Cite this Entry

“Affrighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affrighting. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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