ENGLISH
REFERENCE

frightening

adj.
US //ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ// UK //fɹˈaɪtənɪŋ// fright·en·ing
  1. 1 scary (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    making you feel afraid or nervous.

    causing fear or apprehension. This is a gradable adjective that describes the source of the fear.

    Example

    It was frightening to be alone in the dark house during the storm.

    Example

    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.

  2. 2 very bad or intense (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    used to describe something that is very bad, shocking, or extreme.

    used figuratively to emphasize the unpleasantness, intensity, or poor quality of something.

    Example

    The traffic in the city center this morning was absolutely frightening.

    Example

    The cost of maintaining such an ancient building is frightening, even before you consider the price of modern safety upgrades.
Origin

From frighten + -ing.

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