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Frightful - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Frightful means extremely frightening or shocking, causing fear or alarm. It can also describe something very unpleasant or dreadful. For example, a frightful storm or a frightful experience.

frightful

/ˈfraɪtfəl/ /ˈfraɪtfʊl/

Definition:

Extremely unpleasant, shocking, or terrifying.

Synonyms:

Terrifying, horrifying, dreadful, alarming

Part of Speech:

Adjective

Antonyms:

Pleasant, delightful

Common Collocations:

Frightful noise, frightful experience, frightful sight

Derivatives:

Frightfully, frightfulness

Usage Tips:

Use "frightful" to emphasize extreme unpleasantness or fear, often in exaggerated contexts.

Common Phrases:

Frightful weather, a frightful mess, frightful tales

Etymology:

From Old English "fyrhtu" (fear) + "-ful," meaning full of fear or causing fear.

Examples:

  • 1. The storm made a frightful noise last night.
  • 2. She had a frightful dream about monsters under her bed.
  • 3. The abandoned house looked frightful in the moonlight.
  • 4. His frightful scream startled everyone in the room.

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