frightening

adjective

fright·​en·​ing ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce frightening (audio)
ˈfrīt-niŋ
: 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.

Examples of frightening in a Sentence

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.
In the episode, O'Dowd and Jones play Mike and Amanda, respectively, a couple living a happy and simple life until Amanda suffers a frightening medical emergency and passes out. Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025 But don't let the name fool you, Murderbot isn't actually the frightening story of a dangerous security robot. Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard Jaylen Wells broke his right wrist after a frightening fall in Tuesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. William Guillory, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025 Jarren Duran has spoken out about his mental health struggles before, but in the new Netflix show chronicling the team's 2024 season, the Red Sox outfielder provides a frightening account of his darkest days. Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frightening

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of frighten

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightening was in 1652

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightening. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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