Frightful

Pronunciation: /fraɪt.fəl/

Definitions of frightful

adjective causing fear or dread; terrifying

Example Sentences

A1 The haunted house was frightful.

A2 The thunderstorm outside was frightful.

B1 The horror movie was too frightful for me to watch.

B2 The sight of the car accident was truly frightful.

C1 The war documentary depicted the frightful reality of combat.

C2 The politician's actions had a frightful impact on the economy.

Examples of frightful in a Sentence

formal The storm outside was frightful, with thunder and lightning crashing all around.

informal I watched a frightful movie last night and couldn't sleep afterwards.

slang That haunted house is so frightful, it gives me the creeps.

figurative The thought of failing the exam was frightful, but I studied hard and passed with flying colors.

Grammatical Forms of frightful

• past tense: frightened
• plural: frightfuls
• comparative: more frightful
• superlative: most frightful
• present tense: frightens
• future tense: will frighten
• perfect tense: have frightened
• continuous tense: is frightening
• singular: frightful
• positive degree: frightful
• infinitive: to frighten
• gerund: frightening
• participle: frightened

Origin and Evolution of frightful

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'frightful' originated from the Middle English word 'frightfulle' which was derived from the Old English word 'fyrhtu' meaning fear or terror.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'frightful' has evolved to encompass a broader range of meanings beyond just fear or terror, including something extremely unpleasant or shocking.