TERRIFYING Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

terrifying 1 of 2

adjective

ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ

Definition of terrifying

as in frightening

causing fear heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

terrifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of terrify

as in scaring

to strike with fear the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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

Adjective

In the book, Lucy and Mina, the two main female characters caught up in the web of horror spun by the terrifying Transylvanian count Dracula, stand out as strong, intelligent and courageous. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026 Eight years ago, the president of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizing committee glimpsed a terrifying future. — Stephanie Apstein, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026

Verb

What for decades seemed a hypothetical problem to be solved at some later date is suddenly a concrete, terrifying one for today. — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 30 July 2026 And there was Erling Haaland living his best Norwegian life, terrifying on the pitch and absurd off it, multiplying his stardom with a flamboyance and humor that didn’t detract from his serious talent. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrifying

Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrifying

Adjective

Josh, much of the social media conversation around people seeing The Odyssey in theaters was about the frightening Other Mommy trailer playing ahead of it.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
My Broken Brain follows three young survivors through the most frightening days of their lives and the grueling journey back to independence.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of frightening

Verb

Although the pace of home sales have remained largely unchanged this year compared to last year, according to NAR data through August, there are some signs that higher mortgage rates have started scaring off some buyers.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of scaring

Adjective

Guests lingered over cocktails, lauding Ghesquière’s formidable creative prowess, personal warmth and loyalty.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
Let a Hundred Websites Bloom The Internet and the smartphone have become formidable tools for the Chinese government to maintain tight control over society.

— Conor Heffernan, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of formidable

Adjective

Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.

— Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

For the event, REK also gave the T800 a much more intimidating look.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
At the peak of the Knights’ best run in program history in the late 2010s, the Acrisure Bounce House became one of the most intimidating stadiums to play in, especially at night.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of intimidating

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terrify

terrifying

territories

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“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrifying. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of terrifying

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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