frightful

/ˈfraɪtfl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfraɪtfl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfrīt-fəl/ (ame, mw)

frightful — adjective

  • frightfulpositive
  • more frightfulcomparative
  • most frightfulsuperlative

1. used before a noun, or after 'be', to stress that the thing being described is u

1.形容詞C1
釋義

used before a noun, or after 'be', to stress that the thing being described is unusually bad, extreme, or annoying in degree.

例句

Sana made a frightful mess in the kitchen while baking her sister's birthday cake.

attributive: a frightful + noun (mess / racket / fuss)

The traffic on the motorway out of Manchester was frightful after the football match ended.

predicative: be frightful (about a situation, weather, or traffic)

同義詞
  • awful

    more neutral register, used in both UK and US English.

  • dreadful

    near-synonym, also British-leaning and slightly old-fashioned.

  • terrible

    broader, more common in American English.

反義詞
  • wonderful

    positive equivalent in the same hyperbolic register.

  • splendid

    British-leaning positive intensifier matching the same tone.

文法句型

a frightful + noun

be frightful

用法筆記

Frequently British and slightly old-fashioned; in American English speakers usually say 'awful' or 'terrible' instead. Distinguish from sense 2: here the word means 'very' or 'extremely bad' as a hyperbolic intensifier, not 'causing real fear'.

常見錯誤

❌The exam was frightful difficult.
✅The exam was frightfully difficult.
💡to modify an adjective, use the adverb 'frightfully', not the adjective 'frightful'.
❌A frightful little cat sat on the wall.' (when you mean cute)
✅A sweet little cat sat on the wall.
💡'frightful' is always negative; it cannot mean 'lovely' or 'charming'.

2. so shocking, terrifying, or distressing that it produces real fear, horror, or d

2.形容詞C1
釋義

so shocking, terrifying, or distressing that it produces real fear, horror, or deep upset in the people who see or experience it.

例句

Witnesses described a frightful scene at the crash site, with smoke pouring from the bus.

attributive: a frightful + scene / accident / sight

Mira had a frightful nightmare about being chased through an empty hospital corridor.

同義詞
  • terrifying

    stronger; emphasises active fear in the observer.

  • horrifying

    stresses shock and moral or physical revulsion.

  • ghastly

    literary, often about wounds, faces, or scenes of death.

反義詞

文法句型

a frightful + noun

be frightful

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here 'frightful' carries its full literal weight — the noun it modifies actually frightens or horrifies people (a scene, scream, nightmare, sight), rather than being merely annoying or excessive. The two senses share a form, so context decides which reading the reader takes.

常見錯誤

❌Sora was frightful when the dog barked at him.
✅Sora was frightened when the dog barked at him.
💡'frightful' describes the thing that causes fear; 'frightened' describes the person who feels it.