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horrifying

horrifying

103 4.5
Makes people feel very afraid and shocked
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɔːrəˌfaɪɪŋ/
: horripilante
  • In short, Martin was getting credit for being both horrifying and correct.
  • horrifying scenes
  • horrifying images
  • find horrifying

So it would be horrifying to get that news today.

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Examples

  • The news about the natural disaster was horrifying and left everyone in shock.

  • I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story.

  • So it would be horrifying to get that news today.

  • Oh my God, that is horrifying what she just said.

  • So that allows really horrifying things to happen, right?

  • - That is the most horrifying thing I have ever seen.

  • It's just still very, very horrifying because of how realistic the whole thing is.

  • 'Cause that was entertaining in a horrifying sort of way.

  • In its emotional impact, September 11, 2001, may have been the most horrifying single day in American history.

    Academic text (2002)
  • It's the most horrifying thing I've ever seen.

Synonyms

horrible
vshorrifying
∞ 1.5

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

focuses on producing horror and shock rather than just unpleasantness
scary
vshorrifying
∞ 1.0

Causing fear or making you feel afraid

evokes horror and deep shock beyond ordinary fear or anxiety
frightening
vshorrifying
248 3.0

Causing someone to feel afraid

causes horror and extreme shock rather than general fear or anxiety
terrifying
vshorrifying
243 5.3

Making people feel very afraid

is oriented to horror and shock rather than just intense fear
horrific
vshorrifying
200 5.5

Causing great fear or shock

is focused on shock or horror rather than added disgust
dreadful
vshorrifying
134 3.7

Very bad and unpleasant, often causing fear or shock

places more emphasis on causing horror and shock than mere badness
spooky
vshorrifying
116 3.2

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

produces shock and deep horror rather than mere eerie unease
chilling
vshorrifying
85 5.3

Making you feel very scared or worried

is louder and more shocking, producing active horror rather than quiet unease
appalling
vshorrifying
84 5.6

Causing shock and strong disgust because it is very bad

leans more toward sudden horror and frightening impact than mere badness
horrendous
vshorrifying
79 7.0

Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust

is more about causing horror and deep shock than general badness
eerie
vshorrifying
77 5.1

A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby

causes full horror and shocking fear rather than subtle supernatural unease
grim
vshorrifying
63 4.5

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

is similar but often highlights harsh facts rather than pure terror
awful
vshorrifying
  • Archaic
58 1.1

Very frightening and causing fear or dread

leans toward horror and shocking impact rather than general dread
horrid
vshorrifying
47 4.1

A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you

is centered on horror and extreme shock rather than mere offensiveness
ghastly
vshorrifying
41 6.8

Causing great fear and shock, often like death or ghosts

focuses on pure horror and shock without the deathly or supernatural hint
fearsome
vshorrifying
34 4.8

Very frightening and likely to make people afraid

implies causing horror and deep shock beyond simple alarm
terrible
vshorrifying
27 1.0

So frightening that people feel afraid

focuses more on horror and shock than common severity
fearful
vshorrifying
20 2.9

Causing strong fear and worry

focuses more on horror and shocking effect than internal distress
frightful
vshorrifying
17 5.1

Very scary and likely to make someone feel afraid

is used to stress deep horror rather than general terror
nightmarish
vshorrifying
16 7.0

Very frightening and unpleasant, like a bad dream

is more about direct horror and shock than dreamlike terror
atrocious
vshorrifying
7 7.6

Very cruel and shocking, causing great pain and fear

is about causing horror by shock rather than deliberate cruelty
petrifying
vshorrifying
2 6.8

Causing so much fear that a person cannot move

causes horror and shock but not necessarily physical paralysis
bloodcurdling
vshorrifying
  • Informal
2 8.2

Making you feel very afraid and shocked

is less vividly intense and shocking than this term
shuddery
vshorrifying
1 8.5

That makes you shiver with fear

causes horror more broadly, not only a physical shiver response
shuddersome
vshorrifying
1 9.9

Causing strong fear or disgust that makes you shiver

is broader, producing full horror or shock beyond a shudder
scary to the bone
vshorrifying
  • Informal
8.5

Making someone feel very afraid

is about causing shock or horror rather than only deep fear

Antonyms

77 3.1

Makes someone feel less worried and calmer

75 2.9

That makes pain or worry feel less strong

How Horrifying

terrifying
243 5.3
traumatic
184 6.3
horrifying
103 4.5
shocking
347 3.4
disturbing
357 4.2
unsettling
68 4.2

Surface Forms

horrifying positive

Morphology

horrifying = horrify (transparent) = horror + fy + ing

'Horrifying' is the present-participle/adjectival form of the verb 'horrify' formed by adding '-ing', and its meaning ('causing horror') is directly derived from that verb.

Etymology

The word horrifying comes from the Latin horrere, which means 'to stand on end' like hair when you are scared, and it is related to the English word horror. So, something horrifying is 'causing great shock or fear', the kind of thing that makes you feel a sudden shiver or hair-raising fear.