as in terrifying
causing fear
a truly frightening movie
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Recent Examples of frightening
Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
The land down under has its fair share of natural wonders that are captivating, and sometimes downright frightening.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Ultimately, Tagovailoa’s play over the last five weeks is nothing to scoff at, especially considering the frightening nature of what was at least his third concussion as a professional earlier this season.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
That Daniel Penny acted to defend others from a frightening figure on the train was of no legal relevance, from the prosecution’s point of view, given that Neely did not have a weapon or threaten a specific passenger directly.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightening 
Adjective
Corbet’s performance is all the more frightening for being so subdued.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
The land down under has its fair share of natural wonders that are captivating, and sometimes downright frightening.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Ultimately, Tagovailoa’s play over the last five weeks is nothing to scoff at, especially considering the frightening nature of what was at least his third concussion as a professional earlier this season.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
That Daniel Penny acted to defend others from a frightening figure on the train was of no legal relevance, from the prosecution’s point of view, given that Neely did not have a weapon or threaten a specific passenger directly.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frightening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightening
Adjective
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In the early hours of New Year's Day 2021 in Canton, Georgia, Morgan Metzer was awakened to a terrifying sight.Michael Loftus, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024
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Three years later, Dex's death deals a major blow to several key characters on the long-running soap, potentially introduces a terrifying new killer, and leaves behind plenty of questions as to how the series will proceed without him.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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History says such a two-year performance in itself is neither a scary portent nor a ticket to further riches.Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2024
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Arizona is known for scorpions, tarantulas and other scary bugs, but that's not all.Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Today many companies face the formidable challenge of balancing rapid product delivery with uncompromising quality.Wayne Yu, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
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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
Verb
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In the show’s two signature numbers, both of them Norma’s declarations of her own worthiness, Scherzinger stands at center stage and belts with shocking vocal power and agility, surrounded by purgatorial swirls of smoke and blown out by that Lloydian white light.Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024
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But rather than play up the murders’ shocking gore or give momentum to Lois’ investigation, the first few episodes are content to linger in the investigator’s ennui.Alison Herman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Although there is high demand among students for internships and other work opportunities, our education-employer ecosystem is doing a horrible job delivering them.Brandon Busteed, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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Even as the country seeks to emerge from the legacy of those seven horrible years, however, a new government elected in 2023 has become the first since the fall of the dictatorship to justify the regime’s extrajudicial killings and violent repression.Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine for too long can lead to mold and mildew, which could permanently stain your clothes—and lead to terrible smells.Heather Bien, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Only six years older than Crystal, the comedian still found Scorsese intimidating.Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 16 Dec. 2024
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But what’s really intimidating is looking at his size-21 shoes.Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near frightening
Cite this Entry
“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightening. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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