Frightening — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ/ fright·en·ing

Meaning & Definition of Frightening

Frightening (adjective)

  1. causing fear

Frightening (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing fear

    "a truly frightening movie"

    similar: alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
    related: daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening

Frightening (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to strike with fear

    "around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales"

    similar: affrighting, alarming, frighting, horrifying, panicking, scarifying, scaring, shocking, spooking, startling, terrifying, terrorizing, giving one the creeps, making one's flesh creep
    related: appalling, bowling over, dismaying, flooring, jolting, shaking, shaking up, amazing, astounding, awing, chilling, daunting, demoralizing, dispiriting, emasculating, psyching (out), undoing, unmanning, unnerving, unstringing, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distracting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, unsettling, upsetting, worrying
    opposite: reassuring
    near: assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, solacing, soothing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling

Related Entry: Frighten (verb)

Frighten is a different word from Frightening. The synonyms below are for frighten, not for frightening.

  1. to strike with fear

    "around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales"

    similar: affright, alarm, fright, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, give one the creeps, make one's flesh creep
    related: appall, bowl over, dismay, floor, jolt, shake, shake up, amaze, astound, awe, chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, psych (out), undo, unman, unnerve, unstring, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, perturb, unsettle, upset, worry
    opposite: reassure
    near: assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire, steel

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Frightening

The most common words with a similar meaning to Frightening:

alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying, affrighting, frighting, panicking, scarifying, scaring, spooking, startling, terrorizing, giving one the creeps, making one's flesh creep

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Frightening

Words with the opposite meaning of Frightening:

reassuring

Related Words for Frightening

daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish, bowling over, flooring, jolting

Near Antonyms of Frightening

calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening, assuring, cheering, solacing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling

Origin & Etymology of Frightening

from present participle of frighten

First known use: 1652

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Frightening

Frequently Asked Questions about Frightening

What does "Frightening" mean?

"Frightening" means causing fear. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: causing fear. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Frightening"?

Other words for "Frightening" include alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome and forbidding. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Frightening" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Frightening"?

There are 80 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Frightening". Common alternatives include alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable and frightful.

What is the opposite of "Frightening"?

Antonyms of "Frightening" include reassuring. Near antonyms include calming, comforting, consoling and inviting.

How do you use "Frightening" in a sentence?

Examples of "Frightening" in a sentence: "a truly frightening movie"; "around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales".

Is "Frightening" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Frightening" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Frightening" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Frightening" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Frightening"?

"Frightening" is pronounced /ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as fright·en·ing.