frightful

Something frightful makes you feel strong fear or alarm. It can describe something dangerous or scary, like a frightful storm, a frightful scream, or a frightful scene in a story. It is also often used for something that is simply very bad or unpleasant, such as frightful weather, a frightful mess, or a frightful day. In both uses, the word carries a strong sense that something is hard to face or hard to enjoy.

The word "frightful" describes something that causes great fear, shock, or distress. It is stronger than a mild scare and often suggests that something feels seriously threatening, deeply unpleasant, or hard to look at. A frightful accident, a frightful noise, or a frightful discovery can leave a person shaken because the word carries a sense of strong emotional impact.

Beyond physical danger, "frightful" can also describe things that are emotionally upsetting or disturbing. A frightful memory may stay with someone for years, and a frightful thought may fill a scene with tension. The word often appears in stories with dark or dramatic moods, where it helps create a feeling of fear and unease.

The word also has a common second use: it can simply mean "very bad" or "very unpleasant." Someone may complain about frightful weather, a frightful meal, frightful manners, or a frightful mess. In these cases, the idea is not literal fear but strong dislike or disapproval. Because of that, "frightful" can move between two nearby meanings: something that truly scares you, and something that feels awful in a strong way.