frightful

[ frahyt-fuhl ]
/ ˈfraɪt fəl /

adjective

such as to cause fright; dreadful, terrible, or alarming: A frightful howl woke us.
horrible, shocking, or revolting: The storm did frightful damage.
Informal. unpleasant; disagreeable: We had a frightful time.
Informal. very great; extreme: That actor is very talented but a frightful ham.

Origin of frightful

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at fright, -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM frightful

fright·ful·ly, adverb fright·ful·ness, noun un·fright·ful, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for frightful

British Dictionary definitions for frightful

frightful
/ (ˈfraɪtfʊl) /

adjective

very alarming, distressing, or horrifying
unpleasant, annoying, or extreme a frightful hurry

Derived forms of frightful

frightfulness, noun