frightful
Americanadjective
-
such as to cause fright; dreadful, terrible, or alarming.
A frightful howl woke us.
- Antonyms:
- delightful
-
horrible, shocking, or revolting.
The storm did frightful damage.
- Antonyms:
- delightful
-
Informal. unpleasant; disagreeable.
We had a frightful time.
-
Informal. very great; extreme.
That actor is very talented but a frightful ham.
adjective
-
very alarming, distressing, or horrifying
-
unpleasant, annoying, or extreme
a frightful hurry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of frightful
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at fright, -ful
Explanation
Anything that makes you feel horrified is frightful, whether it's a frightful traffic accident on the highway or your brother's frightful new haircut. This adjective is more common among British English speakers than American ones, but no matter where you live it's a good way to describe something that causes distress, shock, or offense. You may look frightful after falling in the swimming pool while fully clothed, but the frightful sounds coming from a haunted house might cause you to feel more actual terror — or fright.
Vocabulary lists containing frightful
Power Suffix: -ful
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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.
Frightful extras: MVD unleashes more about the films than any human needs to know.
From Washington Times • Oct. 26, 2023
Frightful extras: Pop in the included Blu-ray disc version of the movie to first find an optional commentary track with director Dan Trachtenberg, Ms. Midthunder, cinematographer Jeff Cutter and editor Angela M. Catanzaro.
From Washington Times • Oct. 26, 2023
Frightful extras: The included Blu-ray disc offers the remastered version of the film and select goodies culled from the 2008 high definition release including a 20-minute look at the importance of superheroes in today’s culture.
From Washington Times • Oct. 23, 2021
Frightful extras: An overwhelming selection of previously released bonus content arrives, but it is by far not definitive.
From Washington Times • Oct. 23, 2021
When I awoke, Aaron was gone and Frightful was circling me.
From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
