frightening Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the act of inspiring with fear
    terrorisation; terrorization.
  2. verb cause fear in
    frighten; scare; fright; affright.
    • The stranger who hangs around the building frightens me
    • Ghosts could never affright her
  3. verb drive out by frightening
    frighten.
  4. adjective satellite causing fear or dread or terror
    dreadful; direful; horrific; fearful; terrible; dread; dire; horrendous; awful; dreaded; fearsome.
    • the awful war
    • an awful risk
    • dire news
    • a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked
    • the dread presence of the headmaster
    • polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was
    • a dreadful storm
    • a fearful howling
    • horrendous explosions shook the city
    • a terrible curse

WordNet