frightful Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite provoking horror
    ugly; horrifying; atrocious; horrible.
    • an atrocious automobile accident
    • a frightful crime of decapitation
    • an alarming, even horrifying, picture
    • war is beyond all words horrible"- Winston Churchill
    • an ugly wound
  2. adjective satellite extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
    awful; terrible; tremendous.
    • in a frightful hurry
    • spent a frightful amount of money
  3. adjective satellite extremely distressing
    fearful.
    • fearful slum conditions
    • a frightful mistake

WordNet

Fright"ful adjective
Definitions
  1. Full of fright; affrighted; frightened. Obs.
    See how the frightful herds run from the wood. W. Browne.
  2. Full of that which causes fright; exciting alarm; impressing terror; shocking; as, a frightful chasm, or tempest; a frightful appearance. Syn. -- Terrible; dreadful; alarming; fearful; terrific; awful; horrid; horrible; shocking. -- Frightful, Dreadful, Awful. These words all express fear. In frightful, it is a sudden emotion; in dreadful, it is deeper and more prolonged; in awful, the fear is mingled with the emotion of awe, which subdues us before the presence of some invisible power. An accident may be frightful; the approach of death is dreadful to most men; the convulsions of the earthquake are awful.

Webster 1913