1
as in terrifying
causing fear
couldn't sleep after reading a horrifying tale of evil a horrifying scream brought people running from all directions to see what was wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
the horrifying sight of a rat running through the restaurant's kitchen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
to strike with fear
the old black-and-white psychological thriller still horrifies audiences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of horrifying
Emily Longeretta, Variety, 11 May 2026
Aside from unpredictable fellow patients — some of whom are prone to violent outbursts — Pepper also has horrifying visions of a demonic beast.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
And while the concept of working is horrifying to nearly everyone else, Mary is captivated by the possibility of striking out on her own, even with the comfort of the very sweet Gardiner family.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
Associated Risks of Carpet Beetles Though that information may sound, well, moderately horrifying, carpet beetles pose no potential harm to you personally.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
Unicellular terror The amoeba the doctors found was Acanthamoeba, which is known to cause such horrifying infections.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
What’s the most horrifying part of this wedding to you?
—The Editors, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
As the lawsuits make clear with horrifying details, the victims died in terrible ways.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
In Apex, Theron plays Sasha, a rock climber dealing with the horrifying loss of her partner (Eric Bana).
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The visage, created by Universal Studio’s then-lead makeup artist Jack Pierce for the 1931 film, was horrifying enough that its influence endured for almost 100 years.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Television cameras captured the ensuing violence, horrifying much of the nation.
—Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The grisly murder stayed a local story until horrifying CCTV footage of the incident started making the rounds on social media last weekend.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Mainstream Israeli media has increasingly spotlighted the dire starvation crisis in Gaza after months of Israel’s near-total aid blockade, horrifying some Israelis and triggering protests.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
In the end, Bill Skarsgård returned as the horrifying clown Pennywise, which was always the plan from the start.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 11 May 2026
Aside from unpredictable fellow patients — some of whom are prone to violent outbursts — Pepper also has horrifying visions of a demonic beast.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
And while the concept of working is horrifying to nearly everyone else, Mary is captivated by the possibility of striking out on her own, even with the comfort of the very sweet Gardiner family.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
Associated Risks of Carpet Beetles Though that information may sound, well, moderately horrifying, carpet beetles pose no potential harm to you personally.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026
Unicellular terror The amoeba the doctors found was Acanthamoeba, which is known to cause such horrifying infections.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
What’s the most horrifying part of this wedding to you?
—The Editors, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
As the lawsuits make clear with horrifying details, the victims died in terrible ways.
—Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 29 Apr. 2026
In Apex, Theron plays Sasha, a rock climber dealing with the horrifying loss of her partner (Eric Bana).
—Emily Zemler, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
In the years since Boogie Nights, Leo has made an unlikely hit out of The Man in the Iron Mask, then took the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, showing off his range and turning that surreal and often horrifying movie into another $100 million feather in his cap.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
The visage, created by Universal Studio’s then-lead makeup artist Jack Pierce for the 1931 film, was horrifying enough that its influence endured for almost 100 years.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
No special effects were required to trigger Curry's stark drift from amiability to horrifying emptiness.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Television cameras captured the ensuing violence, horrifying much of the nation.
—Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The grisly murder stayed a local story until horrifying CCTV footage of the incident started making the rounds on social media last weekend.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Mainstream Israeli media has increasingly spotlighted the dire starvation crisis in Gaza after months of Israel’s near-total aid blockade, horrifying some Israelis and triggering protests.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horrifying
Adjective
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette star as the main couple, Bear and Nikki, who fall victim to the One Wish Willow, a wish-granting toy with terrifying results.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Authorities were hunting for three days for the suspect after a gruesome late-night stabbing murder on Sunday in a laundry room in the Nordheim Court apartments.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Part of what makes Nikki so scary is that these intense moments seem to come out of nowhere.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
-
Two friends from Auburn and Berkeley were meeting halfway for a picnic in Sacramento but said even driving there in the strong wind was scary.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
And also, the way that the wish is impacting Bear is ultimately horrific.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
-
But a new era of DEI was ushered in after the horrific murder of George Floyd.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
That combination—higher costs, fewer flights, and steady demand—has given airlines more room to raise fares without scaring off travelers.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
-
Schwarzenegger’s strategy energized Californians who wanted to punish incumbent Democrats, but avoided scaring too many of the state’s median voters.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
McGregor first fought at welterweight in 2016 in a shocking loss to Diaz, then defeated Diaz later that year, again in the 170-pound division.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
But at the center of it all is Navarrette, whose fearless turn grounds the film’s shocking premise in something both heartbreaking and haunting.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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