as in frightening
causing fear
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrifying
Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
This is the terrifying premise of Netflix’s current most popular limited series, Adolescence.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For now, Abigail is a pariah in her town and her school, facing discrimination both inane (locker vandalism, unsympathetic teachers) and terrifying (physical threats, a targeted bathroom ban).
—Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025
The three-minute video, complete with action movie shots and sinister music, is terrifying.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
Many of these protagonists endure the tedium and humiliation of involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, losing days and years to paralyzing inertia, and experiencing terrifying delusions of persecution and betrayal.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
This is the terrifying premise of Netflix’s current most popular limited series, Adolescence.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For now, Abigail is a pariah in her town and her school, facing discrimination both inane (locker vandalism, unsympathetic teachers) and terrifying (physical threats, a targeted bathroom ban).
—Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025
The three-minute video, complete with action movie shots and sinister music, is terrifying.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
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Good news California began trying to police ghost guns after those frightening findings came out, enacting legislation in both 2022 and 2023 to curtail their unregulated sales.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
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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
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In the vast plains of North America, a formidable predator once reigned supreme.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Connecticut’s offense is formidable, but its defense is suspect.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The boys now harbor a terrible secret of their own.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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But the point is, every team has a few terrible losses in the course of a season.—
Josh Yohe,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Liston was famous for being ill-tempered and intimidating.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2025
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Being invited to speak to a group of leaders—whether peers, senior executives or cross-functional stakeholders—can feel both exciting and intimidating.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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