1
: causing intense fear or alarm : terrifying
2
: startling especially in being bad or objectionable
a frightful novel
3
: extreme
frightful thirst
frightfulness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of frightful in a Sentence
As he fell, he let out a frightful scream.
a frightful illness that causes extreme pain
The children made a frightful mess of the kitchen.
Many critics have expressed shock at the song's frightful lyrics.
Recent Examples on the Web
The weather in Middle Tennessee remained frightful Tuesday as the region continued to recover from a major snowstorm that blanketed the Nashville area in as much as 8 inches of snow, left roads treacherous and closed schools and businesses for days.
—
Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Halloween may have come and gone, but Hollywood decked out in frightful finery for the premiere of Nosferatu.
—Lawrence Yee, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Poe’s great, terrifying symbol, an emblem of lost wandering, absent compassion, and frightful omens, evoked Noah and the Ark and real-life apocalypse.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
Collection Tim Burton isn’t exactly underrepresented on this list, but his second Batman movie is too filled with twinkles and tinsel not to include, even if its mood is ultimately more frightful than festive.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightful 
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Craig Shoup, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Halloween may have come and gone, but Hollywood decked out in frightful finery for the premiere of Nosferatu.
—Lawrence Yee, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Poe’s great, terrifying symbol, an emblem of lost wandering, absent compassion, and frightful omens, evoked Noah and the Ark and real-life apocalypse.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2024
Collection Tim Burton isn’t exactly underrepresented on this list, but his second Batman movie is too filled with twinkles and tinsel not to include, even if its mood is ultimately more frightful than festive.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightful
Dictionary Entries Near frightful
Cite this Entry
“Frightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightful. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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