Find Synonyms

frightful Synonyms

Another word for frightful

Choosing another word for frightful depends on context, so the 15 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 2 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Causing intense fear, alarm, or shock; terrifying.

Usage Example

"The climbers heard a terrifying roar echoing from the mountain pass as the avalanche began."

Strongest
terrifying
frightening
horrifying
dreadful
Strong
fearsome
alarming
harrowing
ghastly

• adjective (Context 2)

Extremely unpleasant, bad, or annoying (often used informally as an intensifier).

Usage Example

"The commuters were delayed for two hours because of the awful traffic on the bridge."

Strongest
awful
terrible
dreadful
horrible
Strong
atrocious
appalling
abysmal
wretched

Opposites of frightful

The opposite of frightful shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

wonderful
delightful
comforting
marvelous
reassuring
lovely
soothing
splendid
See all opposites of frightful

• Nearby Words

frightened
frightening
frighteningly
frightful
frightfully
frightfulness
frigid

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Frightful. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/frightful
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