1
as in terrifying
causing fear
hair-raising stories of headless corpses and disembodied screams
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in breathtaking
causing great emotional or mental stimulation
a theme park that is legendary for its lightning-fast roller-coaster and other hair-raising rides
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of hair-raising
Still that does not mean the exercise won’t be hair-raising for the crew of Artemis II.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
His own pharmaceutical quest is nothing short of hair-raising.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
Then into motorboats for hair-raising dashes through tortuous canals and across rough water to dams far back in some vast marsh.
—Nash Buckingham, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
The term hair-raising takes on new meaning as two performers contort their bodies high above the stage, connected only by their coiffures.
—Karen D'souza, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
Led by vocalist Christina Michelle’s hair-raising screams, Deep Sage mangles everything in its path with thick basslines and switchblade guitars until the floor is bloodied but the air, at long last, is cleansed.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Oh, there are plenty of opportunity for that: Feliz says the season only gets more hair-raising from here.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
The reason this seems hair-raising is that most generative AI is devised to wait for the human to initiate a conversation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
The drive had been hair-raising (though nothing compared to a later jaunt on Hiva Oa, where Gauguin is buried, during which our guide Heimata played a ukulele while skirting the edge of a cliff and steering with his knee).
—Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
His own pharmaceutical quest is nothing short of hair-raising.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025
Then into motorboats for hair-raising dashes through tortuous canals and across rough water to dams far back in some vast marsh.
—Nash Buckingham, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2025
The term hair-raising takes on new meaning as two performers contort their bodies high above the stage, connected only by their coiffures.
—Karen D'souza, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025
Led by vocalist Christina Michelle’s hair-raising screams, Deep Sage mangles everything in its path with thick basslines and switchblade guitars until the floor is bloodied but the air, at long last, is cleansed.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Oh, there are plenty of opportunity for that: Feliz says the season only gets more hair-raising from here.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024
The reason this seems hair-raising is that most generative AI is devised to wait for the human to initiate a conversation.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
The drive had been hair-raising (though nothing compared to a later jaunt on Hiva Oa, where Gauguin is buried, during which our guide Heimata played a ukulele while skirting the edge of a cliff and steering with his knee).
—Peter Heller, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair-raising
Adjective
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This isn’t the terrifying Frost of modernist criticism—although the poem is fully aware of darkness, and its world, on the cusp of World War I, like ours, certainly had its terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
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Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Few journeys bring you as close to this breathtaking landscape as the Rocky Mountaineer, a train that threads through canyons, forests, and mountain passes.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Time honoree Nikki Glaser is breathtaking in baby blue at the 2026 TIME100 Gala in New York City on April 23.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Her Dispatch from the scene captured the moments of frightening confusion as high-ranking members of the government were whisked away from the Washington Hilton, where the event was held.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
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The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But that exciting crash sequence — from initial turbulence through to catastrophic Pacific Ocean landing — is where high-stakes action specialist Harlin is most firmly in his sweet spot.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Friends, networks and social circles can bring exciting connections now.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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Stretching up to 62 feet long, the ancient predator dwarfed modern giant squid and may have rivaled some of the most formidable hunters of the Cretaceous oceans.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the grounds of an old hacienda, find a regional food buffet, a refreshing cenote, a thrilling zip-line course in the jungle, and trails for hiking and biking around the verdant estate.—
Regina Zumarraga,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
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The world championship between Ding and the young Indian comes down to a thrilling final game, when both players manage to find not only inner resources but also inspiration from each other.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Yes, scarier than the strange dialogue in Reminders of Him.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
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However, there was a really scary moment in a Game 4 thriller when one player took a skate blade straight to the face.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If Houston wins that one, things start to get really interesting for a 3-0 comeback.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Orlando would scurry to get back in the game and thanks to some lucky breaks in the second half, the Storm were able to make things interesting.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hair-raising.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair-raising. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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