Meanings
comparative more frightening · superlative most frightening
- Causing fear; or capable of causing fear; scary.
Riding the rollercoaster was a frightening experience.
1 more example
The Owl is flying high, frightening to the eye. The Rattler is nearby, Cool is on the fly. Danger is his business.
1966, “Cool McCool (theme song)”, Bernie Green (music) (Cool McCool (television series)), performed by Bob McFadden
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of frighten
The scientist was frightening the timid children.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivecausing fear or dread or terror
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek φοβερός, δεινός
- φοβερός (phoberós)scary
- δεινός (deinós)scary
Arabic مُجَفِّل, مُخِيف
- مُجَفِّل (mujaffil)scary
- مُخِيف (muḵīf)scary
- مُرْعِب (murʕib)scary
Chinese Cantonese 得人驚 /得人惊
- 得人驚 /得人惊 (dak¹ jan⁴ geng¹)scary
Chinese Mandarin 恐怖, 可怕
- 恐怖 (kǒngbù)scary
- 可怕 (kěpà)scary
Dutch ontstellend, beangstigend
- ontstellendscary
- beangstigendscary
- angstaanjagendscary
- afschuwelijkawful
Finnish hirvittävä, pelottava
- hirvittäväscary
- pelottavascary
- karmivascary
- kauheascary
- kauheaawful
French effrayant
- effrayantscary
German fürchterlich, schreckerregend
- fürchterlichscary
- schreckerregendscary
Greek τρομακτικός, φοβιστικός
- τρομακτικός (tromaktikós)scary
- φοβιστικός (fovistikós)scary
- τρομακτικός (tromaktikós)awful
Hindi भुतहा
- भुतहा (bhuthā)scary
Hungarian félelmetes
- félelmetesscary
Irish scanrúil, scéiniúil
- scanrúilscary
- scéiniúilscary
Italian spaventoso
- spaventososcary
Japanese 恐い, 怖い
- 恐い (kowai)scary
- 怖い (kowai)scary
Korean 무섭다, 두렵다
- 무섭다 (museopda)scary
- 두렵다 (duryeopda)scary
Latin terribilis, metūculōsus
- terribilisscary
- metūculōsusscary
Persian سهمناک
- سهمناک (sahmnâk)scary
Polish przerażający, okropny
- przerażającyscary
- okropnyawful
- strasznyawful
Portuguese assustador
- assustadorscary
Romanian înfricoșător, înspăimântător
- înfricoșătorscary
- înspăimântătorscary
Russian пуга́ющий, стра́шный
- пуга́ющий (pugájuščij)scary
- стра́шный (strášnyj)awful
- ужа́сный (užásnyj)awful
Scottish Gaelic eagalach
- eagalachscary
Spanish aterrante, aterrador
- aterrantescary
- aterradorscary
- atemorizantescary
- atemorizadorscary
- asustantescary
- asustadorscary
- amedrentantescary
- amedrentadorscary
- amedrantantescary
- amedrantadorscary
Swedish skrämmande
- skrämmandescary
Turkish korkutucu
- korkutucuscary
Ukrainian жа́хливий
- жа́хливий (žáxlyvyj)scary
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with frightening
All rhymes →Cite this entry
frightening. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frightening
“frightening.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frightening. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frightening,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frightening.
Source: frightening on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.