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frightful

frightful

6 5.1
Very scary and likely to make someone feel afraid
  • adjective
  • /ˈfraɪtfl/
translation icon : espantoso
  • Yet surely there could have been no other explanation for the frightful accident.
  • the most frightful

The same thing that was scratched out as the frightful infinite sphere.

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Examples

  • Must be a frightful responsibility sending innocent men out to their death.

  • Narrator: The ghost raised a frightful cry and shook its chains with an awful noise.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • What a... a frightful sight.

  • "You gave me a frightful scare, Mr. Moon," she said in a very loud voice.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • - After my parents' passing, I had the most frightful nightmares.

  • A frightful creature, truly!

  • To Defoe, writing in 1724, mountains were "horrid" and the highlands of Scotland were a "frightful country."

    Academic text (2002)
  • Instantly, Dona Marina was transported into a frightful, unearthly land by the strangeness of these sounds in her kitchen.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The horror and confusion of this frightful spectacle were increased by the conflagration of the town in the streets of which deeds of still greater atrocity were going on.

  • I had a frightful nightmare that kept me awake all night.

Synonyms

horrible
vsfrightful
1.5

Very bad or frightening in a way that makes you feel upset

is more focused on sudden terror and horror
scary
vsfrightful
763 1.0

Causing fear or making you feel afraid

is more extreme, producing terror and shocking horror
terrible
vsfrightful
658 1.0

So frightening that people feel afraid

is more shocking and horror focused than general dread
frightening
vsfrightful
287 3.0

Causing someone to feel afraid

is stronger, adding shock and deep horror beyond simple fear
terrifying
vsfrightful
209 5.3

Making people feel very afraid

is equally frightening but includes shocking horror too
horrific
vsfrightful
179 5.5

Causing great fear or shock

is similarly disturbing but focuses more on sheer terror
freaky
vsfrightful
  • Informal
165 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

is more extreme, provoking real horror rather than oddness
dreadful
vsfrightful
136 3.7

Very bad and unpleasant, often causing fear or shock

is stronger by provoking active terror and horror
spooky
vsfrightful
96 3.2

Strange and frightening in a way that makes you feel nervous, like a ghost

is more about direct shocking terror than quiet unease
horrifying
vsfrightful
95 4.5

Makes people feel very afraid and shocked

is similarly extreme but stresses terror as well
eerie
vsfrightful
91 5.1

A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby

is more violent in effect, causing clear terror and horror
appalling
vsfrightful
87 5.6

Causing shock and strong disgust because it is very bad

is similarly shocking but stresses terrifying effect more
horrendous
vsfrightful
82 7.0

Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust

is equally shocking but adds a terror element
awful
vsfrightful
  • Archaic
65 1.1

Very frightening and causing fear or dread

is more narrowly about shocking horror rather than seriousness
grim
vsfrightful
57 4.5

Very bad and shocking, causing people to feel fear or sadness

is similarly dreadful but emphasizes sudden terror more
horrid
vsfrightful
52 4.1

A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you

leans more toward provoking terror and shocking dread
fearsome
vsfrightful
37 4.8

Very frightening and likely to make people afraid

is more extreme, provoking horror and deeper terror
monstrous
vsfrightful
27 7.3

Very cruel and shocking, causing strong fear

is similarly shocking but centers more on fear than outrage
fearful
vsfrightful
19 2.9

Causing strong fear and worry

is more intensely shocking and horror inducing than mere dread
nightmarish
vsfrightful
17 7.0

Very frightening and unpleasant, like a bad dream

is similar but not restricted to dreamlike scenarios
atrocious
vsfrightful
12 7.6

Very cruel and shocking, causing great pain and fear

is equally gruesome but highlights sudden terror too
chilling
vsfrightful
1 5.3

Making you feel very scared or worried

is louder in effect, producing shocking horror rather than chill
shuddery
vsfrightful
1 8.5

That makes you shiver with fear

is broader, involving full terror beyond a physical shiver
scary to the bone
vsfrightful
  • Informal
8.5

Making someone feel very afraid

is equally deep but also stresses shocking horror
shuddersome
vsfrightful
9.9

Causing strong fear or disgust that makes you shiver

is more about full horror and sustained terror than a shiver
scarry
vsfrightful
  • US
5.1

Making people feel afraid

is stronger by stressing shocking horror and deep terror
eery
vsfrightful
  • UK
6.7

Strange in a way that makes you feel afraid or uneasy

is more outright shocking and terrifying than mere uncanniness
screamy
vsfrightful
7.4

Scaring people with sudden shocks that make them scream

is more about causing genuine terror rather than staged shocks

Antonyms

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

202 2.0

Something very pleasant that makes you happy

How Horrible

horrific
179 5.5
frightful
6 5.1
terrifying
209 5.3
shocking
278 3.4
disturbing
304 4.2

Surface Forms

frightful positive
frightfully positive

Morphology

frightful = fright (transparent) = fright + ful

The adjective is regularly formed by adding the productive suffix '-ful' to the noun 'fright', yielding 'full of or causing fright', which matches this sense.

Etymology

Frightful comes from fright ('fear') plus the ending -ful ('full of') and comes from an old English word for 'fear'. So frightful originally meant 'full of fear' or 'causing fear', which is why we use it for something extremely shocking or horrible.