1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a frightful sound emanated from somewhere deep within the forest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
I couldn't listen to the frightful details of the murder trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
flew into a frightful fit of rage
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 frightful
When the weather outside is frightful, head to these delightful family resorts with fun indoor activities originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
—
Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful, but her look is so delightful.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful but the vibe with friends and family is so delightful, with seasonal cheer and excitement starting on December 21 and running to January 19.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside really isn’t so frightful, with some flakes that melt on your windshield in metro Detroit until the afternoon, then a light dusting, up to two inches Thursday night into Friday morning.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frightful
Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful, but her look is so delightful.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful but the vibe with friends and family is so delightful, with seasonal cheer and excitement starting on December 21 and running to January 19.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside really isn’t so frightful, with some flakes that melt on your windshield in metro Detroit until the afternoon, then a light dusting, up to two inches Thursday night into Friday morning.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frightful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightful
Adjective
-
His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
-
For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The gruesome murder occurred after an argument about fraudulent credit card charges, prosecutors said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Over everything hovers the gruesome mystery of birth, that unnerving manifestation of female destiny by which a small person is formed within a larger one and bursts out like the alien in Alien.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The pace is intense and the pressure can be overwhelming.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
That was the idea of having this riff that was gonna be really intense, and probably pretty majestic as well, but quite intriguing.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
JPMorgan said the stock is at an attractive entry point with lower expectations and a formidable path for growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Van Dijk and Konate have been a formidable partnership since the latter’s arrival in 2021.—
Andy Jones,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Once the fighting stops the horrific Russian losses of men and machines become daily additions to the armed forces.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
-
On the left, contemporary progressives have denounced the original progressive for his horrific opinions of black Americans.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In particular, teams deploying fiber-optic drones that send and receive signals via millimeters-thick wires rather than via radio—a method of control that helps the operators circumvent intensive Ukrainian radio jamming.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
-
The Shooting Stars award ceremony, held during the Berlin Film Festival, is the festive highlight and closing event of an intensive four-day program where the actors meet international casting directors and are presented to the international press.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The key, psychologists say, is the emotional weight of those headlines’ content—especially for people who find what’s happening in the U.S. today to be genuinely frightening.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
State of play: Cleveland is terrible at planting trees.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightful. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share