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.
“A half day would hardly be enough time to see the sights of London,” Penelope began to protest, but she was interrupted by a frightful noise, which seemed to have its origins rather close by.
From Literature
This is the eighth and final year Enea’s family of four will be remaking its Van Nuys property into a frightful, walk-through attraction that spooks thousands of visitors each Halloween.
From Los Angeles Times
And will we ever sleep well in an area that has not seen the last of wildfires and frightful winds?
From Los Angeles Times
But you don’t have to be obsessed with frightful fare to fit in.
From Los Angeles Times
Even before DOGE, Musk had a frightful habit of posting online, often tweeting 100 times a day.
From Salon
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.
