frightening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce frightening (audio)
Definition of frighteningnext
as in terrifying
causing fear a truly frightening movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frightening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of frighten
as in scaring
to strike with fear around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales

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 frightening
Adjective
And while the thought of tiny bugs inhibiting our eyelashes sounds rather frightening, the reality is far less startling. — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Cillian Murphy nabbed an Oscar for his haunted performance as the former UC Berkeley professor and physicist whose groundbreaking work led to one of the most frightening, formidable scientific discoveries in all of mankind. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Verb
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026 But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frightening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightening
  1. terrifying
  2. scaring
  3. scary
  4. startling
  5. formidable
  6. shocking
  7. horrible
  8. terrible
Adjective
  • View gallery - 5 images What sounds more terrifying than a part-cockroach, part-robot cyborg?
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 July 2026
  • One of the most terrifying aspects of being a teen is the continuous change.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • For the past 18 months, soaring brisket and rib prices have forced Pig-Sty BBQ in Boynton Beach to walk a pricing tightrope, covering expenses without scaring away customers.
    — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • In an article for Marie Claire, Rapinoe trotted out several common left-wing talking points aimed at scaring rational-thinking people into believing that keeping males out of women's sports is somehow bad for girls and women.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of scaring
Adjective
  • Penned by Aguirre-Sacasa based on the Archie Comics characters, Afterlife with Archie turns the all-American town of Riverdale into a zombie-overrun apocalypse — where the only thing scarier than the undead is trying to survive your teenage years.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 July 2026
  • Scary allegations are not the whole story If voters listened to Trump’s speech without the benefits of fact-checkers or even Google, things sound really, really scary.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of scary
Verb
  • Cortlandt Koerwitz/Instagram A family's Fourth of July outing took a frightening turn when a bear charged at a father outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home after startling his daughters.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 9 July 2026
  • Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • In the $200,000 San Clemente Handicap 35-1 longshot Somerset West (Armando Ayuso) outran nine other 3-year-old fillies, including three formidable challengers who shipped in from the east.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Ohtani spearheads the game’s most formidable hypothetical October rotation.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • The shoes also have shocking-absorbing midsoles for cushioned comfort with every step.
    — Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
  • In order to avoid shocking their systems, Henderson recommends a slow release.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 9 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • My husband holds the pamphlet close to his face in bed the next morning, my light creating a horrible glare on the glossy paper.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • The family wants to have accountability for this horrible crime.
    — Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • To sit still now would send a terrible message to a clubhouse full of pros, all of whom know the score.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
  • Spieth decided the ball sitting on a steep slope and potentially on a terrible lie wasn’t playable.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of terrible

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Cite this Entry

“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightening. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on frightening

Nglish: Translation of frightening for Spanish Speakers

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