Frightening

frightening
    adj 1: 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"; "a fearful howling";
           "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible
           curse" [syn: {awful}, {dire}, {direful}, {dread(a)},
           {dreaded}, {dreadful}, {fearful}, {fearsome},
           {frightening}, {horrendous}, {horrific}, {terrible}]
    n 1: the act of inspiring with fear [syn: {terrorization},
         {terrorisation}, {frightening}]
    

Frighten \Fright"en\, v. t. [imp. {Frightened}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Frightening}.] [See {Fright}, v. t.]
   To disturb with fear; to throw into a state of alarm or
   fright; to affright; to terrify.
   [1913 Webster]

         More frightened than hurt.               --Old Proverb.
   [1913 Webster]
    

41 Moby Thesaurus words for "frightening":
      alarming, appalling, awing, browbeating, bulldozing, bullying,
      chilling, cowing, daunting, demoralization, deterrent, deterring,
      dire, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying,
      disquieting, distressing, dreadful, fear-inspiring, fearful,
      fearsome, formidable, frightful, hair-raising, harrowing,
      hectoring, horrifying, intimidating, intimidation, overawing,
      petrifying, psychological warfare, scaring, scary, shocking,
      spooky, startling, terrifying, war of nerves