1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a frightful sound emanated from somewhere deep within the forest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
I couldn't listen to the frightful details of the murder trial
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3
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
flew into a frightful fit of rage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightful
When the weather outside is frightful, head to these delightful family resorts with fun indoor activities originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
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Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful, but her look is so delightful.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful but the vibe with friends and family is so delightful, with seasonal cheer and excitement starting on December 21 and running to January 19.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside really isn’t so frightful, with some flakes that melt on your windshield in metro Detroit until the afternoon, then a light dusting, up to two inches Thursday night into Friday morning.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frightful
Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful, but her look is so delightful.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside is frightful but the vibe with friends and family is so delightful, with seasonal cheer and excitement starting on December 21 and running to January 19.
—Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 19 Dec. 2024
The weather outside really isn’t so frightful, with some flakes that melt on your windshield in metro Detroit until the afternoon, then a light dusting, up to two inches Thursday night into Friday morning.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frightful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightful
Adjective
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His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
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For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The gruesome murder occurred after an argument about fraudulent credit card charges, prosecutors said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Over everything hovers the gruesome mystery of birth, that unnerving manifestation of female destiny by which a small person is formed within a larger one and bursts out like the alien in Alien.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the background of a Gaza ceasefire, Israel has steadily escalated an intense military operation in Palestinian cities in the West Bank, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of residents.—
Mick Krever,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
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This is a performance that entwines intense physicality with simmering determination, and a sense of humor.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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JPMorgan said the stock is at an attractive entry point with lower expectations and a formidable path for growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
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Helmed by Derrick Borte, Bear Country follows an ageing but formidable club owner, Manco Kapak (Crowe), who is robbed by a masked gunman, leaving his aspirations of selling his club and riding off into the sunset alongside his razor sharp girlfriend Sunny (Palmer) more distant than ever.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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On the left, contemporary progressives have denounced the original progressive for his horrific opinions of black Americans.—
Christian Schneider,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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Once the fighting stops the horrific Russian losses of men and machines become daily additions to the armed forces.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The tool is designed for people who do intensive knowledge work in areas like finance, science, policy, and engineering.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
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The episode, written by Dan Erickson and Mark Friedman and directed by Jessica Lee Gagné, feels almost made with Reddit in mind, filled with images and Easter Eggs that demand intensive screenshot analysis.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The key, psychologists say, is the emotional weight of those headlines’ content—especially for people who find what’s happening in the U.S. today to be genuinely frightening.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
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Bates is frightening in her stillness, which makes Annie’s sudden bursts of violence all the more horrifying.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This is, on paper, a terrible idea for all involved.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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State of play: Cleveland is terrible at planting trees.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightful. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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