frightening
adjective
fright·en·ing
ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈfrīt-niŋ
: causing fear
frightening news
a very frightening experience
The man with red eyes made the frightening grimace that passed for his smile.—
Madeleine L'Engle
Madeleine L'EngleFor a man who had tussled with crocs, venomous snakes and other frightening creatures, this was going to be a leisurely swim.—Jennifer Wulff et al.
Jennifer Wulff et al.Examples of frightening in a Sentence
a truly frightening movie
Recent Examples on the Web
Akter described a very frightening situation.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
But that sequence certainly felt properly frightening in the moment.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Filling out this adorably macabre world are characters like the psychic Sally (Catherine O’Hara), the frightening Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), and Sandy Claws himself (Ed Ivory).
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
That both those goals could remain at stake in the season finale against the Chargers is delicious for writers, but a frightening proposition for players.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
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Mark Prussin, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
But that sequence certainly felt properly frightening in the moment.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Filling out this adorably macabre world are characters like the psychic Sally (Catherine O’Hara), the frightening Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), and Sandy Claws himself (Ed Ivory).
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
That both those goals could remain at stake in the season finale against the Chargers is delicious for writers, but a frightening proposition for players.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightening
Cite this Entry
“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightening. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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