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
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.
Recent Examples of terrifying
Emma Allen, New Yorker, 5 July 2025
Interested in something visceral and terrifying but with fewer sharks?
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 4 July 2025
For some of the people reading this, this nation’s future has never been more terrifying.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2025
The terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
Fifty years ago, a glitchy yet terrifying animatronic shark persuaded movie audiences never to go in the water again.
—Emma Allen, New Yorker, 5 July 2025
Interested in something visceral and terrifying but with fewer sharks?
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 4 July 2025
For some of the people reading this, this nation’s future has never been more terrifying.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2025
The terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
-
Through it all, the Jurassic Park franchise continued to break new ground, surprising and captivating audiences with fresh, new and unexpected developments in each installment, made all the more vivid, realistic and frightening with the latest in CGI and believable acting.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 July 2025
-
Perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that, in rural areas, such calamity occurs before any official help can arrive.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
The filmmakers used the sounds of babies crying to make a scary noise In the film, the bad people go to a bad afterlife, and they’re taken there by creepy, inky shadow things.—
Drew Mackie,
People.com,
13 July 2025
-
He’s got that leading-man energy that, for that part, was just super-fun, this very scary, almost James Bond villain, or Mission: Impossible.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Cubs were always going to be a far more formidable opponent than the Nationals and Rockies, against whom the Red Sox collected the first six of their 10-game win streak before the All-Star break.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
20 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, the men will be going up against the English juggernaut — a formidable opponent even if some of their star players are currently touring with the British and Irish Lions.—
Vitas Carosella,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Too Much follows Megan Stalter as Jessica, a producer who's just been broken up with by her horrible ex-boyfriend.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
11 July 2025
-
Getting your car stolen is a horrible experience, but there are ways to deter theft and steps to follow if your vehicle is stolen.—
Charles Singh,
AZCentral.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
There will be four questions related to easing the city’s terrible housing shortage, all useful and needed, and one useless question about moving our local elections from odd years, like this present year, to presidential contest years.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
-
But when terrible news arrives about her ex, all eyes turn to Ana — whose reputation isn't exactly sterling.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
While the ingredients were simmering, Innis shared that the key to making dinner less overwhelming and intimidating for working people is having your ingredients and materials prepared ahead of time.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
6 July 2025
-
By limiting the commitment to just five minutes, the task feels more manageable and less intimidating.—
Dr. Faye Begeti,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share