terrifying

1 of 2

adjective

ter·​ri·​fy·​ing ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ How to pronounce terrifying (audio)
ˈte-rə-
Synonyms of terrifyingnext
1
: causing terror or apprehension
2
: of a formidable nature
terrifyingly adverb

terrifying

2 of 2

present participle of terrify

Synonyms of terrifying

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Adjective

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Examples of terrifying in a Sentence

Adjective The thought of dying alone was terrifying. heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Malerman’s truly terrifying horror novel, 2024’s Incidents Around the House, upon which Other Mommy is based, tells the tale of struggling married couple Ursula and Ross and their young daughter, Bela. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026 Scottie’s punishing, smothering treatment of Judy, who bears much more than a passing resemblance to Madeleine, borders on truly terrifying to many women watching the film. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 Before that, people had always thought of them as this terrifying and quite ugly place with dragons and bad spirits, as only death and danger awaited you there. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2026 But Emily's story, and others like it, are not the only terrifying tales at Hunter's on Halsted. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terrifying

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrifying was circa 1586

Rhymes for terrifying

See All Rhymes for terrifying

Browse Nearby Words

terrify
terrifying
terrigenous
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Cite this Entry

“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrifying. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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