The ghost story was terrifying.
Source: tatoeba (49028)
Terrifying
/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/
Synonyms for "terrifying" (75 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Strong matches (23)
Related words (37)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: alarming, alarming, awesome, bloodcurdling, chilling.
- Sentence evidence is available for terrifying, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
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 "terrifying".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "terrifying"
Keep "terrifying" 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 "terrifying" 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 "terrifying", 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 "terrifying" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesaffective descriptioncause feardescriptive termemotional descriptoremotional effectemotional impactfear inductionfear related adjectivemood descriptortone descriptor
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
9 entriesterrifying experienceterrifying memoryterrifying newsterrifying noiseterrifying rumorterrifying rumorsterrifying sceneterrifying taleterrifying thought
Inflections
4 entriesDerivations
5 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
15 total sentences available.
Never have I read so terrifying a novel as this.
Source: tatoeba (54625)
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
Source: tatoeba (628703)
Mixing with people at a party can be terrifying for shy people.
Source: tatoeba (950164)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "terrifying"?
Closest matches include alarming, alarming, awesome, bloodcurdling, chilling.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "terrifying"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.