Standard Lemma guide

terrifying

adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 R AH0 F AY2 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Frightening or intimidating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • terrifying creature
  • terrifying dream
  • terrifying film
  • terrifying ride
  • terrifying story

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: affreux, alarming, spine-tingling, appalling, awful, eldritch, buggish, butt-clenching, buttock-clenching, dismayful, dreadful, fearful, flaysome, flesh-crawling, formidable, freaky, frightening, frightensome, frightful, ghastly, ghostly, grisly, hair-curling, hair-raising, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horripilating, pulse-pounding, scaring, scary, shocking, skin-crawling, terrible, terrifying, terrorsome

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of a formidable nature; terrific.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

present participle and gerund of terrify

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

causing extreme terror

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a terrifying wail

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: terrific

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: dəhşətli — frightening or intimidating
  • Azerbaijani: qorxunc — frightening or intimidating
  • Azerbaijani: vahiməli — frightening or intimidating
  • Azerbaijani: müdhiş — frightening or intimidating
  • Faroese: ræðandi — frightening or intimidating
  • Faroese: øgiligur — frightening or intimidating
  • Faroese: øtiligur — frightening or intimidating
  • French: terrifiant — frightening or intimidating
  • Galician: tremendo — frightening or intimidating
  • Galician: espantoso — frightening or intimidating
  • German: furchteinflößend — frightening or intimidating
  • German: schreckerregend — frightening or intimidating
  • Greek: τρομακτικός (tromaktikós) — frightening or intimidating
  • Greek: τρομαχτικός (tromachtikós) — frightening or intimidating
  • Ancient Greek: φοβερός (phoberós) — frightening or intimidating
  • Irish: scéiniúil — frightening or intimidating
  • Italian: terrificante — frightening or intimidating
  • Italian: terribile — frightening or intimidating
  • Italian: spaventoso — frightening or intimidating
  • Latin: terrificus — frightening or intimidating
  • Māori: tarawewehi — frightening or intimidating
  • Māori: whakawehiwehi — frightening or intimidating
  • Russian: стра́шный (strášnyj) — frightening or intimidating
  • Sanskrit: घोर (ghora) — frightening or intimidating
  • Sanskrit: भीषण (bhīṣaṇa) — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: terrorífico — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: aterrador — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: aterrorizante — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: terrífico — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: acojonante — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: truculento — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: tremebundo — frightening or intimidating
  • Spanish: acojonante — of a formidable nature