- present participle of terrify.
terrifying
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
If something is terrifying, it makes you feel extremely afraid. Even if your little sister loves the scary roller coaster at the amusement park, you might still find it terrifying. Some people feel mildly alarmed when they see a small spider — if you have a phobia about spiders, discovering one in your bathtub is truly terrifying. This alarming adjective comes from the Latin root terrificus ("causing terror"), which it shares with terrific, a word whose meaning was originally just as scary.
Vocabulary lists containing terrifying
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.
No biopic could ever capture how terrifying it is to be honest in front of the entire world with such plain, immediate insight as a song like this.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
If you’re down for films that are both terrifying and artful, we have a horror trio: Obsession, Backrooms, and Leviticus.
From Slate • Jun. 26, 2026
And a fire survivor sitting nearby, his voice raspy, says he finds it all "terrifying" because "every story is the same."
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
"It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, and I know how fortunate I am to be here today," he added.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
It sounds terrifying, but the odds of the average person encountering that kind of radiation are minuscule.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
