terrifying
adjective
ter·ri·fy·ing
ˈter-ə-ˌfī-iŋ 
ˈte-rə-
1
: causing terror or apprehension
2
: of a formidable nature
terrifyingly
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of terrifying in a Sentence
The thought of dying alone was terrifying.
heard a terrifying noise coming from the next room
Recent Examples on the Web
Runaway metal blade nearly hits man What a close call … See the terrifying moment a man narrowly escaped a runaway metal blade from a nearby construction site.
—
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
But the most terrifying person on screen is Kerry Condon, playing the steely IRA warrior Doireann McCann (possibly inspired by the notorious Dolours Price), the leader of the gang who has brought her cohort to Glencolmcille.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Simply put, the Italians have lost their shine and, despite the continental glory of 2021, are no longer a terrifying force on the world stage.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Though the final season of the flagship series lacked a strong villainous hook, its penultimate year was haunted by Samantha Morton’s terrifying Alpha, queen of the Whisperers, and the woman who brought the AMC zombie drama back to form under the brilliant leadership of showrunner Angela Kang.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Since then, people of all ages, from countries around the world, have created heartwarming, and occasionally terrifying, marshmallow creations.
—Dave Jorgenson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Within the last 10 days, several young, female victims have posted on TikTok about the terrifying moments when they were approached by strangers and hit.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
As this haunting production warns us, there’s nothing more terrifying than that.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
The scene when my character had to strip was terrifying to me.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
Alexandra Banner, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
But the most terrifying person on screen is Kerry Condon, playing the steely IRA warrior Doireann McCann (possibly inspired by the notorious Dolours Price), the leader of the gang who has brought her cohort to Glencolmcille.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
Simply put, the Italians have lost their shine and, despite the continental glory of 2021, are no longer a terrifying force on the world stage.
—David Ferrini, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Though the final season of the flagship series lacked a strong villainous hook, its penultimate year was haunted by Samantha Morton’s terrifying Alpha, queen of the Whisperers, and the woman who brought the AMC zombie drama back to form under the brilliant leadership of showrunner Angela Kang.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Since then, people of all ages, from countries around the world, have created heartwarming, and occasionally terrifying, marshmallow creations.
—Dave Jorgenson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Within the last 10 days, several young, female victims have posted on TikTok about the terrifying moments when they were approached by strangers and hit.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
As this haunting production warns us, there’s nothing more terrifying than that.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
The scene when my character had to strip was terrifying to me.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrifying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near terrifying
Cite this Entry
“Terrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrifying. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on terrifying
Nglish: Translation of terrifying for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of terrifying for Arabic Speakers
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