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
Along with being a frightening moment, the injury was entirely unexpected, as nothing to that degree had happened before. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 His solution was to ride at a frightening pace from the outset of stages, hoping to shed his rival from his back wheel — an approach that rewarded him with king of the mountains points throughout the Tour’s final week. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 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
  • The monsters when finally shown in the light are more shrug worthy than creepy or terrifying.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The great slope of Mulholland’s concrete gravity dam in the Hollywood Hills — a model for the one that failed — was covered with dirt to disguise its terrifying height.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • Be a menace to people in the community, driving his boat 70 to 80 miles per hour, driving around scaring the heck out of people, taking people's lives.
    — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Notably, the research shows that pumas contribute most to decreased deer-vehicle collisions by scaring their prey, and not killing them, highlights Mark Elbroch, director of the Puma Program for Panthera and also a study co-author.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scaring
Adjective
  • No prominent leader has explained what governments will do when the scariest AI capabilities are diffused around the world and become accessible to criminals and terrorists.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights is looking like an even scarier place to have a nice daaaate.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of scary
Verb
  • Last week, an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight-demonstration team, zoomed dangerously low along the Florida coast, stirring up sand and umbrellas, startling some beachgoers—and, it must be said, delighting many others.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of startling
Adjective
  • Webber seemed the perfect fit for Golden State and Nelson, and a bigger, more athletic Warriors team seemed to have a more formidable Big Three in Webber, Owens and second-year guard Latrell Sprewell, with Mullin still on hand as well.
    — Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Leykin, 19, is a formidable challenger, placing in the top five on four apparatuses.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • In February, Trump appointee Vinay Prasad—a Kennedy ally—refused to even review the vaccine, despite objections from FDA staff and career officials, shocking Moderna and the larger biomedical community.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The rollout comes on the heels of shocking AI safety failures that rattled the nascent industry.
    — Sam McNeil, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of shocking
Adjective
  • After years of seeing enough photos of fabulous wealth and horrible tragedy, these types of images cease to shock us.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the horrible jobs data suggests the central bank may have to think about weakening consumer spending as well.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • The delta between the disability from these diseases and the amount of funding and research being done on them is terrible.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And forty per cent was about how great Modi is and how terrible the opposition is.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 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 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on frightening

Nglish: Translation of frightening for Spanish Speakers

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