horrifying
Britishadjective
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causing feelings of horror in; awful; terrifying;
-
dismaying or greatly shocking; dreadful
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Horrifying things are scary and disturbing. A car crash, a violent scene in a movie, and an exposé on what's really in your fast food hamburger can all be described as horrifying. Something that scares you to death, like the sound of footsteps upstairs in your dark, empty house or the sight of a bear on the hiking trail, is horrifying. Equally horrifying are things that sicken you, like photographs from a battlefield or the description of a painful dental procedure. Horrifying things inspire horror, originally a Latin word meaning both "dread" and "religious awe," from horrere, "to bristle with fear."
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.
"It's been 60 years since one of the most horrifying tragedies this country has ever seen. All of those children lost," Burnham said.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
It’s just horrifying on the surface so people think you can’t make a joke about it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
More horrifying still, his statement was met by extended cheers from his exuberant audience of nearly 6,000 people who showed up in Nebraska on Oct.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
But people who heard it inside the courtroom described it as a profoundly horrifying and traumatic experience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The crunching and groaning and snapping of the wood became the only sounds in the world to Thomas, horrifying.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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