[syn: awful, dire, direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Frighten \Fright"en\, v. t. [imp. Frightened; p. pr. & vb. n.
Frightening.] [See Fright, v. t.]
To disturb with fear; to throw into a state of alarm or
fright; to affright; to terrify.
[1913 Webster]
More frightened than hurt. --Old Proverb.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
frightening
adj 1: causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an
awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so
direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of
the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease
it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling";
"horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible
curse" [syn: awful, dire, direful, dread(a),
dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome,
frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible]
n 1: the act of inspiring with fear [syn: terrorization,
terrorisation, frightening]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
41 Moby Thesaurus words for "frightening":
alarming, appalling, awing, browbeating, bulldozing, bullying,
chilling, cowing, daunting, demoralization, deterrent, deterring,
dire, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying,
disquieting, distressing, dreadful, fear-inspiring, fearful,
fearsome, formidable, frightful, hair-raising, harrowing,
hectoring, horrifying, intimidating, intimidation, overawing,
petrifying, psychological warfare, scaring, scary, shocking,
spooky, startling, terrifying, war of nerves