1
as in terrifying
causing fear
couldn't sleep after reading a horrifying tale of evil a horrifying scream brought people running from all directions to see what was wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the horrifying sight of a rat running through the restaurant's kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrifying
Adjective
-
Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025 -
The terrifying predicament happened Sunday, March 23, in a wooded area off Interstate 10 in LaPlace, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a March 26 news release.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Watkins immediately received a flood of support on social media after the gruesome injury, as athletes and analysts from around the sports world chimed in with well wishes.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Following the gruesome discovery, an arrest warrant was issued for Jones, charging him with murder.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Granted that a 1 degree Celsius change in world average temperature can translate into a 4-degree Celsius increase in some of the most climate precarious countries, this last scenario is frightening.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
While studying a rare species whose mating call appears to be the frightening shrieks the team has been hearing in the woods, the pair hired Kodiak (McHale) as their guide.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While the defense in front of him remained very much horrific in Buffalo, Jarry was not good.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
In court documents, prosecutors described it as one of the most horrific incidents to occur in Las Cruces, located about 40 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The Athletic’s Steve Madeley has produced a slightly scary overview of the 16 months before the next World Cup starts.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Sins Of The Brother Of course, the most shocking moment in this episode is something that’s been setup from the very first episode.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The series begins with his shocking arrest and traverses his first police interview; the detectives on the case at his school, groping for clarity on a senseless crime; and how his family navigates both their raw new reality and their past decisions.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the vast plains of North America, a formidable predator once reigned supreme.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Connecticut’s offense is formidable, but its defense is suspect.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share