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
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Aided by a woman named Rhiannon, Jay sets out to learn more about Brogan — whose final role was based on Bram Stoker's character Dracula — and his terrifying link to a young actress.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s terrifying on a whole different level.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
Iran has pledged to retaliate against such facilities in Israel, meaning the entire Middle East may be on the brink of cataclysmic doom — with or without the terrifying prospect of nuclear strikes.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Aided by a woman named Rhiannon, Jay sets out to learn more about Brogan — whose final role was based on Bram Stoker's character Dracula — and his terrifying link to a young actress.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
That’s terrifying on a whole different level.
—Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
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How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And with it almost out in the world, that’s scaring him a little bit.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The conditions in Domiz are not scary as a sign of what the future might be like for everyone.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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While weaponizing hate has been around almost as long as humanity itself, this new version is particularly scary because the checks and balances that were put into place in previous generations have been removed.—
Steven Burg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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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This double-digit growth positions the $98-per-year service as a formidable challenger to Amazon Prime, leaning heavily on delivery speed and new streaming partnerships.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Its missile force is formidable.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
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Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By addressing each of these messes individually, refreshing your home should become much less intimidating, Davis says.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
1 Apr. 2026
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The stadium was bigger, louder and more intimidating.—
Zoe Bahjat,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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