as in frightening
causing fear
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrifying
Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The movie manages to make viewers feel every single cringey moment his main character goes through — kind of like watching your friend on the world’s worst (and most terrifying) date.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
But across the political divide, the bombings are terrifying for many Iranians, with civilian casualities on the rise.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
The best horror villains are not only terrifying but complicated, their destructive persona hiding a far more vulnerable being underneath.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The movie manages to make viewers feel every single cringey moment his main character goes through — kind of like watching your friend on the world’s worst (and most terrifying) date.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Verb
Pic was written and directed by horror filmmaker Ian Tuason, and follows the host (Nina Kiri) of a popular paranormal podcast who becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
But across the political divide, the bombings are terrifying for many Iranians, with civilian casualities on the rise.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
-
The frightening encounter began several years ago when her daughter texted her from school complaining of pain just above her belly button.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Vampires, deadly disasters, and creeps are among those who help these frightening flicks scare the hell out of audiences.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
New luxury tax thresholds were introduced, imposing punitive roster-building restrictions on big spenders, scaring teams away from keeping their championship cores intact.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
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Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment My medium skin tone is prone to dark spots, but the Sunday Riley Good Genes elixir combats scaring.—
Ruby McAuliffe,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Dealing with termites can be a scary burden, and a new report reveals some cities are more termite-prone than others.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
-
Flying on Broadway is often scary.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After another solid season in 2021, injuries and sub-par play eventually led to an exit from the NFL, but Robinson has made a pretty formidable case for a return with his play in his UFL debut campaign.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Studio had some formidable shoes to fill, replacing the eponymous and long-beloved French fine-dining institution that had defined special-occasion fine dining in Laguna Beach for more than twenty years.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
In 2012, a powerful quake visited terrible damage on the city of Modena, Bottura’s home and host to his restaurant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The letter writer’s cousin has cancer, and the chemo gives her terrible side effects.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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As a designer taking over a venerable house, previews with her were both a bit intimidating but always heartwarming.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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Appearing in the three episodes leading up to the season 6 finale, Willis played Paul Stevens, the intimidating father of Ross' student girlfriend.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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