frightening
frightening
Pronunciation
IPA phonetic spelling: /ˈfraɪtnɪŋ/
fright-: /fraɪt/
/f/ - voiceless labiodental fricative
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/aɪ/ - diphthong (as in "my")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar stop
-en-: /ən/ (or /ɪn/ for some speakers)
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel) or /ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
-ing: /ɪŋ/
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/ŋ/ - voiced velar nasal
Word Form Variations
Verb (base form): frighten
Verb (third-person singular present): frightens
Verb (past tense): frightened
Verb (present participle): frightening
Verb (past participle): frightened
Adjective: frightening
Adverb: frighteningly
Noun (derived): fright
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition 1: Causing a sudden and intense feeling of fear or alarm; evoking a sense of dread or terror.
Synonyms: terrifying, alarming, terrifying, chilling, daunting, horrifying, dreadful, spine-chilling, hair-raising
Antonyms: reassuring, comforting, calming, soothing, delightful, pleasant, encouraging
Verb (Present Participle, used as a continuous action or an adjective)
Definition 1: The act of causing someone or something to experience fear or alarm. (Often used in continuous tenses: "The storm is frightening the children.")
Synonyms: scaring, terrifying, startling, alarming, intimidating, unnerving
Antonyms: comforting, calming, reassuring, soothing
Noun (Gerund, the act of causing fright)
Definition 1: The process or act of causing someone to become afraid. (e.g., "The sudden noise caused a frightening.")
Synonyms: alarming, terrifying, intimidation, scaring, startling
Antonyms: comforting, calming, reassurance
Examples of Use
Books: "It was a frightening thought, that he might never see his home again." (From The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, July 1954)
Newspapers: "The latest report on climate change paints a frightening picture of rising sea levels and extreme weather events." (The Guardian, October 2023)
Online Publications: "New AI breakthroughs are both exciting and a little frightening, raising questions about the future of work." (Wired, April 2024)
Film/Television: A character might exclaim, "That jump scare was truly frightening!" (Common dialogue in horror films)
Music (lyrics): "And the silence was so frightening / I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see." (From the song "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, June 2006)
Video Games: A game review might state, "The creature design in Resident Evil Village is truly frightening, adding to the game's intense atmosphere." (IGN, May 2021)
Podcasts: "The expert on the podcast described the potential for a global pandemic as a frightening but necessary scenario to consider for preparedness." (NPR's "Up First," January 2020)
Social Media: A user might tweet, "The sudden drop in temperature is frightening for our crops. #ClimateChange" (Twitter, November 2023)
General Public Discourse: "The cost of living right now is becoming quite frightening for many families." (Heard in everyday conversation)
News Broadcasts: "Footage emerged today showing the truly frightening destruction caused by the recent earthquake." (BBC News, February 2023)
10 Quotes Using Frightening
"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man." (Ronald Reagan)
"I don't use drugs, my dreams are frightening enough." (M. C. Escher)
"Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch." (James Baldwin)
"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right." (Laurens van der Post)
"Considering how dangerous everything is, nothing is really very frightening." (Gertrude Stein)
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
"The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me." (Blaise Pascal)
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us." (Marianne Williamson)
"The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace of a new Dark Age." (H.P. Lovecraft)
Etymology
The word "frightening" comes from the older English word "fright," which meant "fear" or "dread." Think of "fright" as the feeling itself, or even something that causes that feeling, like a "horrible sight."
The verb "frighten" (to make someone afraid) came from this noun "fright" by adding the "-en" ending, which often turns nouns into verbs (like "strengthen" from "strength").
Then, "frightening" as we use it today, meaning "causing fear," is essentially the present participle of the verb "frighten." It appeared in English around the early 1700s. So, it literally means "in the act of causing fright."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Frightening
A frightening prospect: Refers to a future event or possibility that causes apprehension or fear.
Frighteningly real: Used to describe something that feels very true or immediate, often in a disturbing way.
Frightening speed: Describes something moving or happening extremely fast, to an alarming degree.
Frightening clarity: When something becomes clear or understandable in a way that is unsettling.
A frightening thought: A disturbing or unsettling idea that comes to mind.
Beyond frightening: Indicating something is more terrifying than can be easily expressed.
To give someone a fright: (Using the root word "fright") To suddenly scare someone.
To take fright: (Using the root word "fright") To suddenly become scared, often causing one to run away or back down.
Scared stiff: (Using a synonym) Extremely frightened, unable to move.
Scared to death: (Using a synonym) Extremely frightened.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of frightening from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
