frightful

[ frahyt-fuhl ]
/ ˈfraɪt fəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR frightful ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Words nearby frightful

fright, fright wig, frighten, frightened, frightener, frightful, frightfully, frigid, frigid zone, frigidaire, frigidarium

Words related to frightfully

decidedly, badly, intensely, mightily, desperately, thoroughly, seriously, notoriously, awfully, exceedingly, greatly, dreadfully, remarkably, highly, extremely, unbelievably, horribly, fearfully, markedly, much

Example sentences from the Web for frightfully

British Dictionary definitions for frightfully (1 of 2)

frightfully
/ (ˈfraɪtfəlɪ) /

adverb

(intensifier) I'm frightfully glad

British Dictionary definitions for frightfully (2 of 2)

frightful
/ (ˈfraɪtfʊl) /

adjective

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

Derived forms of frightful

frightfulness, noun