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.
Flood survivors from other hydropower sites described a terrifying rush of water that had engulfed them within minutes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
One of the things that made the original Alien: Isolation so terrifying was its seemingly intelligent Xenomorph, which appeared to learn from your behaviour and adapt to it.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In one of the series’ most terrifying scenes, Pennywise comes to life inside a black-and-white photo of Derry 200 years ago when it was a mining town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Curry made him a Bozo hiding sharp teeth, which was terrifying but not alluring in the least.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
And then came an even more terrifying sound: heavy footsteps right behind him.
From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis
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.
