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Synonyms

spine-chilling

American  
[spahyn-chil-ing] / ˈspaɪnˌtʃɪl ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. very frightening or horrifying.


spine-chilling British  

adjective

  1. (of a book, film, etc) arousing terror

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spine-chilling

First recorded in 1945–50; spine ( def. ) + chilling ( def. )


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.

See Examples For:

Dahlia Lithwick looks at how his rhetoric has been getting even more spine-chilling of late, and why we can’t afford to lose sight of what’s at stake.

From Slate ● Nov. 16, 2023

To visit the spine-chilling inside of Vecna’s mind, head to 10th Avenue West in Queen Anne where it meets West Bothwell Street.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 30, 2023

The unlikely meshing of gospel and rap, spine-chilling lyrics and clever sampling of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” would eventually turn the single into a chart-topping hit and catapult the rapper’s decades-long musical career.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 29, 2022

It is the most hauntingly and psychologically complex ghost story I’ve ever seen, presented with an ambiguous gentility that is literally spine-chilling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2021

No sooner had Jasper Jr. knocked me to the ground than I heard Bull cut loose with a spine-chilling wail.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

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