definition of
frightening

[1] #1 frightening s. [awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, horrendous, horrific, terrible] causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; ". wn

[2] #2 frightening n. [terrorization, terrorisation] the act of inspiring with fear. wn