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terrifying

/ˈtɛrɪfaɪɪŋ/
/ˈtɛrɪfaɪɪŋ/
IPA guide

Other forms: terrifyingly

If something is terrifying, it makes you feel extremely afraid. Even if your little sister loves the scary roller coaster at the amusement park, you might still find it terrifying.

Some people feel mildly alarmed when they see a small spider — if you have a phobia about spiders, discovering one in your bathtub is truly terrifying. This alarming adjective comes from the Latin root terrificus ("causing terror"), which it shares with terrific, a word whose meaning was originally just as scary.

Definitions of terrifying
  1. adjective
    causing extreme terror
    “a terrifying wail”
    synonyms: terrific
    alarming
    frightening because of an awareness of danger
Pronunciation
US
/ˈtɛrɪfaɪɪŋ/
UK
/ˈtɛrɪfaɪɪŋ/
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