# frightening

/ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/ (US) · /fɹˈaɪtənɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/frightening
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. scary

adjective · CEFR B1

making you feel afraid or nervous.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. very bad or intense

adjective · CEFR C1 · Informal

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The dark forest looks very frightening at night.
- It was frightening to realize how quickly the storm clouds were moving toward the small boat.
- The sudden drop in the stock market was frightening for investors who had placed their entire life savings into a single volatile industry.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.