Word
frightening
Phoneticsfright·en·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/
UK/fɹˈaɪtənɪŋ/
Definitions
01scary
B1 · Intermediate
adj. making you feel afraid or nervous.
adj. causing fear or apprehension. This is a gradable adjective that describes the source of the fear.
“It was frightening to be alone in the dark house during the storm.”
“The sudden drop in the company's stock price was frightening for the small investors who had put their life savings into the venture.”
Pitfall
I was very frightening when I saw the snake.
I was very frightened when I saw the snake.
Use 'frightening' for the thing that causes fear and 'frightened' for how you feel.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02very bad or intense
C1 · Advanced Informal
adj. used to describe something that is very bad, shocking, or extreme.
adj. used figuratively to emphasize the unpleasantness, intensity, or poor quality of something.
“The traffic in the city center this morning was absolutely frightening.”
“The cost of maintaining such an ancient building is frightening, even before you consider the price of modern safety upgrades.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “frightening” in context.
Verb
01. become frightening
“The situation became frightening when the storm intensified.”
verb + adj
02. consider frightening
“Experts consider the new virus to be a frightening development.”
verb + adj
03. find frightening
“Many young children find the dark very frightening.”
verb + adj
04. sound frightening
“The diagnosis might sound frightening, but the condition is treatable.”
verb + adj
Adjective
05. deeply frightening
“It was a deeply frightening experience that I will never forget.”
adv + adj
06. truly frightening
“The speed at which the fire spread was truly frightening.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. frightening prospect
“The idea of losing his job was a frightening prospect.”
adj + noun
08. frightening thought
“It is a frightening thought to imagine the world without clean water.”
adj + noun
09. a frightening turn of events
“The protest took a frightening turn of events when the police arrived.”
10. find it frightening to
“I find it frightening to walk home alone late at night.”
Confusables
Frightened describes the person feeling the emotion, while frightening describes the thing that causes the emotion.
RememberFrightened = Feeling; Frightening = Feature.
Etymology
From frighten + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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