frightful
[ frahyt-fuhl ]
/ ˈfraɪt fəl /
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adjective
such as to cause fright; dreadful, terrible, or alarming: A frightful howl woke us.
horrible, shocking, or revolting: The storm did frightful damage.
Informal. unpleasant; disagreeable: We had a frightful time.
Informal. very great; extreme: That actor is very talented but a frightful ham.
SYNONYMS FOR frightful
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS APLENTY!
Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT OTHER WORDS FROM frightful
fright·ful·ly, adverbfright·ful·ness, nounun·fright·ful, adjectiveWords nearby frightful
frigging, fright, frighten, frightened, frightener, frightful, frightfully, fright wig, frigid, Frigidaire, frigidarium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for frightful
British Dictionary definitions for frightful
frightful
/ (ˈfraɪtfʊl) /
adjective
very alarming, distressing, or horrifying
unpleasant, annoying, or extremea frightful hurry
Derived forms of frightful
frightfulness, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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