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
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Recent Examples of horrifying
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 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
In a statement, Denver District Attorney John Walsh described the shooting as a horrifying incident.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
For him, Ruben’s reappearance after two years away is far more horrifying than being called the f-word.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Showvay was interviewed in the doc and reflected on everything from her first date with Schipper to the shock of finding out the horrifying things her husband had done.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
In Creggers’ Resident Evil, Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in a nonstop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
That was such a terrible shock and really upsetting, horrifying, and scary.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s direction, and in particular the vivid use of sound, draw horrifying juxtapositions between domestic tranquility and genocide.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 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
New video captured the horrifying moment a Florida police officer’s body camera stopped a bullet from piercing his chest while conducting a routine investigation last month.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 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
In a statement, Denver District Attorney John Walsh described the shooting as a horrifying incident.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
For him, Ruben’s reappearance after two years away is far more horrifying than being called the f-word.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
Showvay was interviewed in the doc and reflected on everything from her first date with Schipper to the shock of finding out the horrifying things her husband had done.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
In Creggers’ Resident Evil, Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in a nonstop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
That was such a terrible shock and really upsetting, horrifying, and scary.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Glaser’s direction, and in particular the vivid use of sound, draw horrifying juxtapositions between domestic tranquility and genocide.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 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
-
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
-
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
-
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Biden administration failed victims by not seeking the death penalty in many violent and gruesome cases.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Like Richards, many people also invite the public into the somewhat gruesome medical process.—
Rheana Murray,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Yes, scarier than the strange dialogue in Reminders of Him.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
Earlier in the month, the courts heard the horrific and emotional testimonies of camp counselors of that night as part of the lawsuit.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
So even as the Nazi regime was radicalizing through the 1930s and committing horrific violence, the German population was still laughing and being entertained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This isn’t a film about trauma, or smuggled-in social issues, or anything at all, really, besides the honest workaday business of scaring the bejesus out of its audience, rinsing, and repeating with extra vigor.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the furthest part of space lies Dante 01, a detention facility that houses criminals who have committed the most shocking crimes imaginable.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Their latest documentary series looks set to continue that streak, exploring a shocking real case of love, betrayal, and justice.—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horrifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horrifying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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