PERSECUTORY Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

persecutory

adjective

as in frightening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

There is nothing more frightening than when the familiar starts acting strange, in movies or in life.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
And with Halloween nearly upon us, the question of what frightening, shocking, silly, classic, or demonically camp movies to press play on again (and again) has never been more pertinent.

— Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 18 Oct. 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

But in an edited video put out by the White House that showed her march to the podium, set to pickup-truck-commercial music, Zacharia appeared visibly fearful.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
Some online have pledged to never ride a roller coaster again, too fearful of the unimaginable horror of falling out.

— Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fearful

Adjective

What started as a routine bike ride home turned into a terrifying fight for survival for Katherine Marroquin on Sunday night.

— Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
In Carroll Gardens, says Cavallo, a house on Henry Street, between Carroll and President, is so terrifying some kids have to cross the street.

— Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrifying

Adjective

Neither maudlin nor melodramatic, and without any glorification, the song is infected by the same chilling gloom which has glommed onto the best of Messrs Linkous, Berman, and Drake.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
As Hal puts it the next morning, the chilling effect is very effective.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of chilling

Adjective

Bad dreams – like scary stories – work as fire drills for the developing brain.

— Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
There, shortly after fully participating in a practice as if nothing ever happened, the rookie linebacker recapped the scenes from perhaps the scariest moment of his football career three days prior.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of scary

Adjective

The Houthis in Yemen, whom the kingdom has been battling on and off since 2009, have demonstrated an alarming ability to strike deep inside Saudi Arabia, from airports to the Aramco head office, with no regard for civilian lives.

— Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026
This is especially alarming as 1 in 8 women in America will develop breast cancer.

— Lyndon Haviland, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of alarming

Adjective

There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.

— Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.

— Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

persecutors

persecutory

perseverance

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Persecutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutory. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of persecutory

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

emissary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes