English Dictionary: frightful | by the DICT Development Group |
2 results for frightful | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Frightful \Fright"ful\, a. 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. Usage: {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. |