as in frightening
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutory
Adjective
-
Thunderstorms and lightning, very very frightening.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025 -
Since the release of 2013's The Conjuring, the frightening franchise has generally lost steam at the box office.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Given how strong the waves were that day, on August 26, Rawan was increasingly fearful that the dog might not make it.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Elite Chinese universities fail to attract applicants China’s historically elite universities face growing pressure from a diverse crop of competitors courting applicants fearful of a brutal labor market.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Philip Bunting’s new picture book uses this tall tale as a starting point for a funny and sweet story about a misunderstood dropbear and a little bird who’s determined to discover if the rumors about Dropbear’s terrifying behavior are true.—
Caroline Carlson
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Set largely inside the White House, the film imagines the terrifying scenario of an imminent nuclear missile strike on the United States by an unknown adversary, forcing military and civilian leaders to make impossible decisions under crushing time pressure.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wan’s eye for spooky set pieces is even sharper here; The Conjuring 2 boasts the most chilling scene in the franchise.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Over time, exposure to the elements has left the dolls dirty and worn, with peeling paint on their faces, tattered clothing, missing eyes, and no hair, creating a chilling and eerie atmosphere.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Building a new company is scary and comes with high risks, but these organizations are proving that success is always possible, and age is just a number.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
And production budgets are usually modest, making for some scary-good profit margins.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Kelley shared a series of alarming posts to her Instagram account in the days leading up to her arrest, some of which contained allegations of abuse, while others included personal information that could be used to identify Scott and others.—
Ryan Coleman September 2,
EW.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Nationally, teachers have been both threatened with injury and physically attacked by students at an alarming rate.—
IndyStar,
IndyStar,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But that spring, my mental health wasn’t in a good place thanks to the volatile combination of two years of pandemic lockdown, switching my antidepressants, my undiagnosed ADHD and a horrible case of writer's block.—
Alison Cochrun,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
-
The Succession Wars took a much darker turn thanks to the development of not just Battlemechs but of horrible flesh and steel monsters called abominations.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Flesh-eating screwworm larvae poised to invade the US have snuck into Maryland via the flesh of a person who had recently traveled to El Salvador, upping anxiety about the ghastly—and economically costly—parasite.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Behind one of these homes a ghastly discovery has recently been made and is now being unearthed.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
25 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Persecutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutory. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share