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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That an unelected tech billionaire has so much power over the American government is equal parts confusing and frightening.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
The New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2025
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Strong’s interpretation of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice was tragicomic and frightening stuff.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
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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JPMorgan said the stock is at an attractive entry point with lower expectations and a formidable path for growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
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Helmed by Derrick Borte, Bear Country follows an ageing but formidable club owner, Manco Kapak (Crowe), who is robbed by a masked gunman, leaving his aspirations of selling his club and riding off into the sunset alongside his razor sharp girlfriend Sunny (Palmer) more distant than ever.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 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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This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Until its proves otherwise, Miami sits mediocre at ninth-best in the 16-team AFC -- not terrible, surely not the dregs ... but not a contender.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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