as in frightening
causing fear
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 terrifying
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 30 Dec. 2024
Led by members of elite armed forces around the world, celebrities must take on terrifying and difficult tasks or risk getting kicked off the show.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
Older humidifiers often looked like terrifying contraptions and were used mostly in hospital settings to help people with respiratory conditions.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 20 Dec. 2024
Rose, the terrifying stage mother from Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents’s musical masterpiece, might at first impression be a thousand miles away from McDonald’s palpable warmth and golden, operatic voice—other famous Roses have run over audiences like a freight train.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrifying 
Adjective
The prequel brings back Bill Skarsgård to reprise his film role as the terrifying clown Pennywise.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 30 Dec. 2024
Led by members of elite armed forces around the world, celebrities must take on terrifying and difficult tasks or risk getting kicked off the show.
—Christopher Murray, Fox News, 27 Dec. 2024
Older humidifiers often looked like terrifying contraptions and were used mostly in hospital settings to help people with respiratory conditions.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 20 Dec. 2024
Rose, the terrifying stage mother from Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim, and Arthur Laurents’s musical masterpiece, might at first impression be a thousand miles away from McDonald’s palpable warmth and golden, operatic voice—other famous Roses have run over audiences like a freight train.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
-
In the dark winter months, Krampus associations in villages hold parades, playfully frightening onlookers on Krampusnacht by chasing them and hitting them with sticks during a run through the streets.Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Or maybe the next gen of AI swerves us even deeper into the uncanny valley in yet unknown and frightening ways.Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Ron Howard's family narrowly avoided a scary incident at his wife Cheryl's birthday party.Tommy McArdle, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024
-
Obsessing over every scary headline will not change that reality.Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Today many companies face the formidable challenge of balancing rapid product delivery with uncompromising quality.Wayne Yu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
-
From his playing days, Posey remembers his Giants won with great starting pitching and a formidable bullpen juggled well by manager Bruce Bochy.Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The discourse will take the horrible transition from the coronation of 2024 to the unfair new expectations of 2025.Brody Miller, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
-
Much like in that previous doc, this is a record of some of the most turbulent, heart-wrenching, and anxiety-inducing years in the country’s history, specifically the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro and his horrible administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
That would be a terrible mistake, the Fienberg brothers argued in a Dec. 17 letter that addressed only Bowers’s federal death sentence.David Mark, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 22 Dec. 2024
-
People talk about the terrible twos, but she’s found her foothold in that kind of behavior, and there’s just no reasoning with her.Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
However, the gym can be both costly and intimidating, and some people just simply don’t have the time due to work or travel schedules.Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
-
And while its build quality is almost impeccable, most new riders find its power, size, and weight a little too intimidating.New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near terrifying
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share