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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrifying
Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Richie, who was sitting in a window seat at the time of the crash, recalls the terrifying moments after impact.
—Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Adjective
Bauer was lucky to survive six terrifying months in the concentration camps, where he was repeatedly beaten.
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Richie, who was sitting in a window seat at the time of the crash, recalls the terrifying moments after impact.
—Julia Bonavita, Fox News, 21 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for terrifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying
Adjective
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Its mechanical legs resemble a Star Wars stormtrooper while its humanoid design, featuring extended coil arms and over-resilient survival adaptability, is both awesome and a little frightening — mankind’s extinction made cute.—
Armond White,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
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Funny how quickly things change in the NHL. Or frightening.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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People can discover new ways of relating to our bodies or different ways of thinking about transness or queerness in ways that aren’t so scary or alienating for them but that feel inviting and welcoming.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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Weighty — and scary — subject matter for a tween, Blair got the role of Regan with just a couple of prior credits under her belt.—
Diana Pearl,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Although generally painted as having underperformed in Ukraine, Russia's air force would still be formidable.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Some compare Sanders to Geno Smith — not flattering, but not horrible.—
Troy Renck,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
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Everybody's going to be thrown, according to , into all these horrible situations.—
Hugh Cameron,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Since then, however, Wells Fargo has pulled back roughly 18%, as of the close on Monday, which continued a terrible recent stretch for the overall market due to economic uncertainty stemming from concern about the impact of President Donald Trump ‘s tariffs.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
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The New York Yankees received terrible news on Monday regarding Gerrit Cole's injury.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Developers have to find a balance between not making the game too intimidating for newcomers to the series, whilst still posing a challenge for players who’ve grown used to the mechanics and winning strategies for 20 years or more.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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Even for someone who isn’t a color enthusiast (like myself) there are subtle colors to invest into and a plethora of inspirations on how to style them in a less intimidating way.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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