PERSECUTORY Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

persecutory

adjective

as in frightening

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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 persecutory For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists. — Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutory

Adjective

Josh, much of the social media conversation around people seeing The Odyssey in theaters was about the frightening Other Mommy trailer playing ahead of it.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
My Broken Brain follows three young survivors through the most frightening days of their lives and the grueling journey back to independence.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of frightening

Adjective

Then Clark put on a dribbling clinic, made nifty pass after nifty pass and became both a harassing presence on defense and the Fever's emotional leader during a 20-6 second-quarter run.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
The first complaint, in which a clerk made similar accusations of abusive and harassing conduct, was filed with the circuit court in 2022, not long after Merriam’s appointment.

— Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026

Definition of harassing

Adjective

Davidson struck me as being fearful, clinging to a handful of ugly stories about trans people as a sign of things to come in women-only spaces.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
In the early days after his diagnosis, my dad grew more fearful, more depressed.

— Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of fearful

Adjective

Even so, returning to college was terrifying after ongoing health crises led to academic failure.

— Alexis Lariviere, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026
The lycanthropy saga, set in an English village in the 13th century, stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a man who undergoes terrifying transformations into a werewolf each full moon.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrifying

Adjective

The messages were shared with Semafor on the condition that they not be quoted directly out of concern that employees would feel uncomfortable seeing their messages reproduced verbatim, potentially chilling future Slacktivism.

— Garrison Lovely, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Even before its launch, the series stirred spirited discussion from enthusiasts of the book overs Kazan’s decision to center the story’s chilling antagonist Cathy Ames, played by Florence Pugh.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of chilling

Adjective

Germany’s annual per capita consumption of traditional beer has fallen about 40% since 1990 to 77 liters now — an alarming development for an industry whose origins reach back to the Middle Ages.

— Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Trump’s laudatory comments come as bipartisan angst over the technology crests, alarming AI incidents proliferate, and global governments call for policy cooperation.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarming

Adjective

Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

persecutors

persecutory

perseverance

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“Persecutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutory. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of persecutory

adjective

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