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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
Squeezing the wildly complicated life of a truly frightening figure who wanted to dismantle industrial society into a streaming-ready origin story is ironic enough. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 Some say the public backlash to AI, and OpenAI, is partly because messaging from the leading labs can be esoteric, rather than grounded in the day-to-day benefits of AI, and in some cases, downright frightening. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 23 Sep. 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
  • Although the encounter itself was terrifying, revelations about Shrine’s past have compounded her fears.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The movie blows up, and so are do lives—in exciting, but also terrifying, ways.
    — Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • Although the pace of home sales have remained largely unchanged this year compared to last year, according to NAR data through August, there are some signs that higher mortgage rates have started scaring off some buyers.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scaring
Adjective
  • Taking on something this scary freed up a lot of emotional bandwidth.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The annual attraction that celebrates the scariest holiday has new digs — Tropical Park in West Miami-Dade.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of scary
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
Adjective
  • DeFoe has very limited experience fishing at Lake Hamilton, but his partner Gill is one of the most formidable specialists with forward-facing sonar.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Both EVs share a formidable powertrain specced for serious performance, and feature futuristic styling that wouldn't be out of place in a cyberpunk future.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • George came back strong with his 1987 solo classic Faith, reborn as a black-leather stud, shocking the music industry that had always seen him as a disposable joke.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The nurturing Moon in your sign faces shocking Uranus in your 7th House of Partnership, so your needs and someone else’s ask for balance.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • At its worst, cognitive impairment can be a horrible, life-altering disease for patient and loved ones.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Doubs had a horrible debut in the league’s season opener last week against the Seattle Seahawks.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • In any case, the nation’s approach toward Europe was not to meddle in its internal affairs but, rather, to avoid another terrible Continental war.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Offensive lineman Steve Avila was a member of the 2024 Rams team that turned it around after a terrible start.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrible

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frightened
frightening
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Cite this Entry

“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightening. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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