I was sadly shocked, however, when he said he could prove that God hates the truth; the effect was horripilating.
Source: wiktionary
Horripilating
/hɒˌɹɪpɪˈleɪtɪŋ/
Synonyms for "horripilating" (1 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (1)
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: frightening.
- Sentence evidence is available for horripilating, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "horripilating".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "horripilating"
Keep "horripilating" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "horripilating" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "horripilating", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "horripilating" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Sample sentences
5 total sentences available.
Fear, the product of guilt, is a true night-plant. Like some of those gigantic fungi the botanists tell of, it springs up in the dark, and in an hour of restless tossing, sudorific, horripilating wretchedness, canopies our bed with a phantom toad-stool of gigantic size. The load that the conscience can jauntily stagger under in the broad light of day, […] will, in the gloom and silence of the night, wear its bearer to his knees.
Source: wiktionary
Always something of a timpani concerto among symphonies—besides the famous solos in the Scherzo there is the horripilating tattoo that all but drowns out the first movement recapitulation, […]
Source: wiktionary
In Rachilde's fiction, however, scientists or doctors are associated with sexual knowledge that is both unwelcome and yet empowering, the sort of knowledge that makes a young girl's hair stand on end[…]. This horripilating experience is unwelcome, because it comes in the form of unwanted sexual advances at a time when the heroine is still innocent, but ultimately empowering, because it frees the heroine from any further vulnerability to seduction and gives her power over men.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "horripilating"?
Closest matches include frightening.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "horripilating"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.