terrifying

adjective

ter·​ri·​fy·​ing ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ 

ˈte-rə-

1

: causing terror or apprehension

2

: of a formidable nature

terrifyingly adverb

Synonyms

• alarming
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreadful
• fearful
• fearsome
• forbidding
• formidable
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• hair-raising
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrifying
• intimidating
• redoubtable
• scary
• shocking
• spine-chilling
• terrible

Examples of terrifying in a Sentence

The thought of dying alone was terrifying.

heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room

Recent Examples on the Web

Winters — who was so terrifying in Heroes of the Fourth Turning and who revealed a messy vulnerability behind Kerry Castellabate’s hard bangs and structured suits on Succession — is a pro at tough, slick surfaces with tangles of insecurity underneath. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024

Perusing the store’s shelves, there’s the usual lineup of Route 66 merch alongside a host of shirts bearing new and terrifying puns. —Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024

These two men are simply terrifying for opposing NFL defenses, and breathtaking to watch for the rest of us. —Jesse Reed, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Other King Kong movies would abandon horror for adventure, but the first was genuinely terrifying. —Victoria Edel, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1