1
as in terrifying
causing fear
hair-raising stories of headless corpses and disembodied screams
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in breathtaking
causing great emotional or mental stimulation
a theme park that is legendary for its lightning-fast roller-coaster and other hair-raising rides
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Recent Examples of hair-raising
Led by vocalist Christina Michelle’s hair-raising screams, Deep Sage mangles everything in its path with thick basslines and switchblade guitars until the floor is bloodied but the air, at long last, is cleansed.
—
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Oh, there are plenty of opportunity for that: Feliz says the season only gets more hair-raising from here.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
The reason this seems hair-raising is that most generative AI is devised to wait for the human to initiate a conversation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
Among them were experienced mountaineers accustomed to steep terrain where any fall could be fatal, and casual hikers who had never before attempted to climb anything as hair-raising.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
The players’ recounted exploits are at once hair-raising, nostalgic and moving.
—Drew Goins, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
Formula 1: On and Off the Track Still a Thrill: Monaco’s narrow track hinders overtaking, but, oh boy, do those tight roads make qualifying hair-raising.
—Ian Parkes, New York Times, 23 May 2024
The going was beautiful but slow and a little hair-raising as day turned to night.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The drive had been hair-raising (though nothing compared to a later jaunt on Hiva Oa, where Gauguin is buried, during which our guide Heimata played a ukulele while skirting the edge of a cliff and steering with his knee).
—Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Oh, there are plenty of opportunity for that: Feliz says the season only gets more hair-raising from here.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
The reason this seems hair-raising is that most generative AI is devised to wait for the human to initiate a conversation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
Among them were experienced mountaineers accustomed to steep terrain where any fall could be fatal, and casual hikers who had never before attempted to climb anything as hair-raising.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
The players’ recounted exploits are at once hair-raising, nostalgic and moving.
—Drew Goins, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
Formula 1: On and Off the Track Still a Thrill: Monaco’s narrow track hinders overtaking, but, oh boy, do those tight roads make qualifying hair-raising.
—Ian Parkes, New York Times, 23 May 2024
The going was beautiful but slow and a little hair-raising as day turned to night.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
The drive had been hair-raising (though nothing compared to a later jaunt on Hiva Oa, where Gauguin is buried, during which our guide Heimata played a ukulele while skirting the edge of a cliff and steering with his knee).
—Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair-raising
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The chef’s kitchen is just as impressive, decked out with a stone pizza oven, high-end appliances, and dramatic picture windows that showcase the breathtaking city-to-ocean views.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
26 Mar. 2025
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Beneath the breathtaking view of the Camelback and Mummy Mountains, Taylor and Hooker exchanged both handwritten and traditional vows.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Outside of Matthews’ single shot, the most exciting chance the line created was an out-of-character clapper from Marner off the rush that was more of a novelty than a high-danger look.—
Nick Ashbourne,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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The tools offer exciting new clues to how people living in the area thousands of years ago may have lived and interacted.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Wang has $106,000 in independent support, the majority of it from Empower Oakland, a nonprofit co-founded by mayoral candidate Loren Taylor that has emerged as a formidable funding arm in the city’s politics.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
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Cornyn is considered a formidable fundraiser; he’s brought in more than $415 million during his time in the Senate.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Gators pulled off a thrilling 65-63win over the Cougars, overcoming a 12-point deficit against the nation’s best defensive unit.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The rest of the show is a thrilling unmooring from heterosexual convention.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The scary part is how quickly and naturally this thinking could extend to current employees.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The scariest unknown for women with cancer, after the disease itself, can be their husbands—a staggering number of whom abandon their wives in the wake of a diagnosis.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Having said that, there might be interesting parallels with other cases and countries.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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The series has an interesting group of producers including Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who is a lifelong Blues fan, who will exec produce, and Tom Brady, who bought a minority stake in the club in August 2023 and will produce via his Religion of Sports label.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hair-raising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair-raising. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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