frightening

1 of 2

adjective

fright·​en·​ing ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce frightening (audio)
ˈfrīt-niŋ
Synonyms of frighteningnext
: causing fear
frightening news
a very frightening experience
The man with red eyes made the frightening grimace that passed for his smile.—Madeleine L'Engle
For a man who had tussled with crocs, venomous snakes and other frightening creatures, this was going to be a leisurely swim.—Jennifer Wulff et al.

frightening

2 of 2

present participle of frighten

Synonyms of frightening

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Adjective

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Examples of frightening in a Sentence

Adjective a truly frightening movie
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The trailer for the movie, which includes a particularly frightening jump scare from Chastain as Other Mommy, went viral online after playing in front of theatrical screenings. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 The resulting collision is frequently ridiculous, rarely frightening, and strangely sad. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for frightening

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of frighten

First Known Use

Adjective

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightening was in 1652

Rhymes for frightening

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Browse Nearby Words

frightenedly
frightening
frighten into
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Cite this Entry

“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightening. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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