1
as in terrifying
causing fear
couldn't sleep after reading a horrifying tale of evil a horrifying scream brought people running from all directions to see what was wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the horrifying sight of a rat running through the restaurant's kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrifying
Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
After all, the findings of this report pale in comparison to the horrifying gaps exposed by toothless audits from the Maryland General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Audits.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Then, in a horrifying shift that is becoming all too real for Satchkova’s American readers—agents of the state show up at Maya’s door.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
There's a horrifying dating term going viral, and every dater needs to be aware of it.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
The memoir’s descriptions of prisoner abuse are horrifying, if no longer novel.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Case in point, Late Night With the Devil takes place on a chilling Halloween night in 1977, during which a series of horrifying events occurred on an episode of a live talk show.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
Gisèle and her children have each absorbed the horrifying facts at their own pace.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
That backstory — Greta accidentally burning down a church with children inside — is genuinely horrifying.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Television cameras captured the ensuing violence, horrifying much of the nation.
—Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The grisly murder stayed a local story until horrifying CCTV footage of the incident started making the rounds on social media last weekend.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Mainstream Israeli media has increasingly spotlighted the dire starvation crisis in Gaza after months of Israel’s near-total aid blockade, horrifying some Israelis and triggering protests.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
It's been absolutely just horrifying.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
After all, the findings of this report pale in comparison to the horrifying gaps exposed by toothless audits from the Maryland General Assembly’s Office of Legislative Audits.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Then, in a horrifying shift that is becoming all too real for Satchkova’s American readers—agents of the state show up at Maya’s door.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
There's a horrifying dating term going viral, and every dater needs to be aware of it.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
The memoir’s descriptions of prisoner abuse are horrifying, if no longer novel.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Case in point, Late Night With the Devil takes place on a chilling Halloween night in 1977, during which a series of horrifying events occurred on an episode of a live talk show.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
Gisèle and her children have each absorbed the horrifying facts at their own pace.
—Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026
That backstory — Greta accidentally burning down a church with children inside — is genuinely horrifying.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
The visage, created by Universal Studio’s then-lead makeup artist Jack Pierce for the 1931 film, was horrifying enough that its influence endured for almost 100 years.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Television cameras captured the ensuing violence, horrifying much of the nation.
—Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The grisly murder stayed a local story until horrifying CCTV footage of the incident started making the rounds on social media last weekend.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Mainstream Israeli media has increasingly spotlighted the dire starvation crisis in Gaza after months of Israel’s near-total aid blockade, horrifying some Israelis and triggering protests.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrifying
Adjective
-
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The gruesome discovery would eventually lead authorities to a third woman, in her 80s, killed a few towns over, triggering a manhunt across several states and prompting a two-day closure of schools in Wayne County.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 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
Adjective
-
It’s been scary being a part of these franchises with big followings for such a long time.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But John is, as established, too dense to be truly affected by any scary woman.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Casap may never change after ‘horrific’ crimes First-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence.—
Todd Richmond,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Mougey and Jets coach Aaron Glenn will enter a critical offseason following a horrific 3-14 record.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Among them is an allegation that Live Nation threatens to retaliate against venues that work with rivals, allegedly scaring those venues into complying.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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The growing conflict is also drawing concern on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, scaring away carriers that had sought to make a more regular return to the Suez Canal.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After the horrible murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, legions of fans revisited to the director’s films, and this is one of his best.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
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But today, the building is in horrible shape.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
News was spreading through the gym that Sage Hill had just upset Sierra Canyon 57-54 in Chatsworth in the other Open semifinal — one of the most shocking upsets in state basketball history.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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The Defense Department’s reliance on Anthropic’s AI came as a shocking realization that ultimately led to their dramatic schism, according to a top Pentagon official.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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