as in terrifying
causing fear
a truly frightening movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightening
Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
In Old Soul, Barker has adapted the novel-as-stories form to truly frightening effect.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
Adjective
Having lost most of their backline, Andoni Iraola has quickly solidified them, and their attack is frightening.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
In Old Soul, Barker has adapted the novel-as-stories form to truly frightening effect.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightening
Adjective
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In the del Toro version, the creature played by Jacob Elordi is not terrifying, the director told Entertainment Weekly in September before the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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The line occurs when the film’s protagonist, Ripley (Weaver), emerges from an elevator in a giant metal bodysuit, ready to fight a terrifying alien to save a young child.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The government must refinance without scaring off investors or triggering default.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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Playing on parental fears, The Babadook has been scaring the daylights out of us for a solid decade now.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
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The movie adaptation was terrifying, but the creepy atmospheric tension in the novel is even scarier.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a follow-up video, the owner revealed a gentle method for waking the puppy without startling her.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This interview also comes just weeks after her shocking Dancing With the Stars elimination.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
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His nearly $50 million buyout is the second richest in college football history, shocking not just for the price but also because of the team’s recent success.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inherently, a writer doing historical research is always victim to this horrible irony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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There are some horrible things said on stage by the mystery writer that Tony Carlin plays.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The heiress was involved in a terrible car accident in 1929, which left her with life-long medical issues.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
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And keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, once Alisson’s backup with Liverpool, has improved after a terrible start.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightening. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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