frightening

1. 1
   adjective

   Making someone feel afraid, scared, or nervous.

   Like a sudden loud noise in the dark that makes your heart jump.

   The dark hallway looked frightening to the small child.

   Driving through the heavy storm was a frightening experience.

   Similarscary, terrifying, alarming, chilling, harrowing

   Oppositereassuring, comforting

   Note
2. 2
   verb

   Present participle of frighten. Use this form for something that is scaring someone as it happens.

   Stop frightening your little sister with that mask.

   The thunder kept frightening the dog all night.

   Note
3. 3
   adjectivefiguratively

   Very bad or terrible.

   They made a frightening mess of the whole project.

   The food at that hotel was frightening, so we ate somewhere else every night.

   Similarterrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, shocking

   Note

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