as in frightening
causing fear
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
While the invading Martians and their tall, terrifying, laser-toting tripods are undeniably fantasy, the fact that they were undone by Earth’s disease-causing microbes is not.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat.
—Nbc Los Angeles, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
As for the other scribe behind the book, Bennett is penning the new Witchblade reboot and wrote the terrifying graphic novel Mommy Blog, released last year.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
While the invading Martians and their tall, terrifying, laser-toting tripods are undeniably fantasy, the fact that they were undone by Earth’s disease-causing microbes is not.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
Ken Johnson, the homeowner, said Monday that the bear has been growling and hissing, terrifying him and his cat.
—Nbc Los Angeles, NBC news, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
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In a heartfelt Instagram video, Lindsey Vonn shared how her doctor saved her leg from amputation after the frightening crash at the Milan‑Cortina Olympics.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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While Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic comeback ended with a frightening crash in Cortina d’Ampezzo, overall, Team USA broke its winter gold medal record, set on home soil at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Guadalajara will be hosting matches this summer, in what’s expected to be an economic boon for the state of Jalisco, and Sheinbaum will no doubt be wary of scaring off would-be tourists.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
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According to Bloomberg, analysts are already antsy about increasing prices scaring away customers, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His birdie chances on the 17th and 18th were woefully short on greens where short putts can be scary.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
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The film can get a little scary at times for younger viewers, but both parents and kids will be captivated by its haunting beauty.—
Danny Horn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Saturday, startling his sister.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The Kings believe Hunter and Murray could be a formidable duo at the forward spots, giving the team two long and versatile defenders who can guard multiple positions.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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On to Slovakia The Americans now have a semifinal date with a formidable opponent in Slovakia.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Aston Villa 2-1 Leeds Brentford vs Brighton Brighton are playing better than a horrible run of results — one win, six draws, and six defeats in their last 13 Premier League games — suggests.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Probably one of the scenes where Stephen does horrible things to women.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Ball told TechCrunch that imposing the supply-chain risk label would send a terrible message to any company doing business with the government.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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But this is some terrible people.—
Babak Dehghanpisheh,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Cords are also a little intimidating because there are so many kinds, and tossing the wrong one could cost you.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Feb. 2026
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Gibson’s simple sorting method also made the process less intimidating.—
Staff Author,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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