hair-raising
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hair-raising
First recorded in 1895–1900
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Mother Mary” is as hair-raising as it is eyebrow-raising, all spectral senselessness until, out of nowhere, the eeriness gives way to a startling profundity as the film explores remorse with biblical repercussions.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
England have a recent history of hair-raising starts to World Cups.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026
His writing is sinewy and unsparing, as enchanting and hair-raising as the forest itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Only Samantha Hale, raised in Los Angeles on “Top Ramen and fear,” could make hair-raising terror this funny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
With difficulty, the Captain persuaded his friend to let him drive and then began their hair-raising trip from Le Havre to Paris, culminating in a cross-city ride at the busiest time of the afternoon.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
