1
as in terrifying
causing fear
couldn't sleep after reading a horrifying tale of evil a horrifying scream brought people running from all directions to see what was wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the horrifying sight of a rat running through the restaurant's kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrifying
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 -
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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Thoughtful, but gruesome is an apt descriptor for the film as well.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
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This was true of Fury (2015) as well, his brutal and gruesome war drama featuring Brad Pitt as a tank commander in the final days of World War II leading a platoon of hardened, traumatized, broken soldiers.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 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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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
Adjective
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Viscerally horrific, conceptually mindblowing, achingly humane.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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With that horrific risk in mind, the crew hatches a new plan.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
9 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 abyss is a scary thing, and also, perhaps, freedom.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After some rumors and rumblings, Burnes landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in a shocking turn of events.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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That’s a bit shocking for the current winner of the Best New Artist Grammy.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But then two horrible shifts by the Wild turned the game upside down in the blink of an eye.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Some veterans have impressed at the midpoint of coach Mike Norvell's spring-practice rebuilding as FSU aims to recover from last year's horrible campaign.—
Bob Ferrante,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 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
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Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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