hair-raiser

noun

hair-rais·​er ˈher-ˌrā-zər How to pronounce hair-raiser (audio)
Synonyms of hair-raisernext

Synonyms of hair-raiser

Examples of hair-raiser in a Sentence

since they had been dating for five years, her answer to his proposal wasn't exactly a hair-raiser
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The streamer has a deep bench of horror films from all eras of cinema among its offerings, from influential classics like Nosferatu (1922) to newer hair-raisers like Possessor (2020), and all kinds of thrillers and chillers in between. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026 And the Halloween-eve hair-raiser adds a cackling skeleton to a horror arcade of ghoulish news for EVs. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hair-raiser was in 1897

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hair-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair-raiser. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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