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
Hannah Kerman, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
What’s truly terrifying is that this line may have been workshopped and Bianco still didn’t spot the contradiction.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
Microplastics in our ocean and brain and our fruit — to name just one such potential source of ailment — are terrifying to confront.
—Hannah Kerman, STAT, 29 Apr. 2026
What’s truly terrifying is that this line may have been workshopped and Bianco still didn’t spot the contradiction.
—Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
One 27-year-old Tehran resident said a strike fell a few hundred yards away from her house, terrifying her with the explosion.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Like the strung-up coyotes, the Ghoul typically looks normal from afar but terrifying up close.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
-
Late on against Newcastle, Rutter beat two players on the left with a frightening burst of pace and set up Minteh, only for the 21-year-old to blast over an empty net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
Dash camera video showed the frightening moment when a wheel from a United Airlines plane slammed into a bakery delivery truck that was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This isn’t a film about trauma, or smuggled-in social issues, or anything at all, really, besides the honest workaday business of scaring the bejesus out of its audience, rinsing, and repeating with extra vigor.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
-
Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Some cyclists sped by pretty quickly, startling us and our dog.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Hauge called that startling, given that court filing fees alone cost just as much.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Last month, despite Orbán’s formidable, long-standing attempts to rig the legal and electoral systems in his favor, Magyar won, in a stunning upset.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Stockton, who formed a formidable tandem with fellow Jazz superstar Karl Malone, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
3 May 2026
-
Aston Villa 1-1 Tottenham Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest Again, this is horrible scheduling on a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, three days before Forest go to Villa for the second leg of that Europa League semi-final.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Now, nearly two years later, the school finds itself in a terrible spot, as accusations of serious misconduct arise and an investigation by the athletic department heats up.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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And, betting on terrible outcomes doesn't signify what the better actually wants to happen.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
You might be asked to step up, own up to a mistake or take the lead in a way that feels more intimidating than usual.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
While no medical procedure is fun, exactly, some can feel more intimidating than others.—
Holly Burns,
Time,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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