frightful
Use Frightful in a sentence
fəl adjective
1.
such as to cause fright; dreadful, terrible, or alarming: A frightful howl woke us.
2.
horrible, shocking, or revolting: The storm did frightful damage.
3.
Informal. unpleasant; disagreeable: We had a frightful time.
4.
Informal. very great; extreme: That actor is very talented but a frightful ham.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To frightful
00:10
Frightful
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
frightful (ˈfraɪtfʊl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | very alarming, distressing, or horrifying |
| 2. | unpleasant, annoying, or extreme: a frightful hurry |
| 'frightfulness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
frightful
mid-13c., "timid;" c.1600 "alarming;" from fright + -ful. In common with most -ful adjectives, it once had both an active and passive sense. Meaning "dreadful, horrible, shocking" (often hyperbolic) is attested from c.1700; Johnson noted it as "a
cant word among women for anything unpleasing." Related: Frightfully.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Then they would have some frightful experiences with the cold.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.
State-enforced amnesia suppressed immediately the entire atrocity with frightful efficiency.
Everything was about to come to a sudden and frightful end.
Matching Quote
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
