hair-raising

American  

[hair-rey-zing] / ˈhɛərˌreɪ zɪŋ /

adjective

1. terrifying or horrifying.

   We had a hair-raising brush with death.

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hair-raising British  

adjective

1. inspiring horror; terrifying

   a hair-raising drop of 600 feet

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Other Word Forms

• hair-raiser noun

Etymology

Origin of hair-raising

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Mr. Deakins’s most personal writing comes early in his book, describing his youthful exploits documenting wars in Zimbabwe and Eritrea, as well as a hair-raising experience filming a sailing trip around the globe.

From The Wall Street Journal

For 15 hair-raising minutes, the pilots struggled to evade a half-dozen surface-to-air missiles, spraying countermeasures and executing a series of high-G maneuvers.

From The Wall Street Journal

England have a recent history of hair-raising starts to World Cups.

From BBC

His writing is sinewy and unsparing, as enchanting and hair-raising as the forest itself.

From The Wall Street Journal

Only Samantha Hale, raised in Los Angeles on “Top Ramen and fear,” could make hair-raising terror this funny.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breathtaking
• chilling
• electrifying
• frightening
• shocking
• suspenseful
• terrifying