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
- frightfully adverb
- frightfulness noun
- unfrightful adjective
Etymology
Origin of frightful
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.
And will we ever sleep well in an area that has not seen the last of wildfires and frightful winds?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2025
Even before DOGE, Musk had a frightful habit of posting online, often tweeting 100 times a day.
From Salon • May 30, 2025
It’s a frightful and gargantuan performance that should come with a trigger warning.
From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Yes, people may have tips and comfort to share, but they also offer a frightful peek into the future.
From Slate • Jan. 28, 2024
The howling wind and pounding rain made a frightful noise, and yet through it all a single, chilling sound could still be heard—the awful tolling of the church bells.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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.
