adj
frightful
FRYT-fuhl
adj
1
Causing shock, horror, or fear; dreadful.
"They witnessed a frightful accident on the motorway."
2
Informally, very unpleasant or bad (often used to intensify, not literally about fear).
"What frightful weather we've been having this week!"
"He was in a frightful hurry to leave."
How to Use Frightful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDreadful or shocking, or (in casual British English) simply "terrible/very great".
When to use it
The intensifying sense ("a frightful mess") is dated and mostly British; younger speakers rarely use it this way.
Common pairings
a frightful mess
frightful noise
frightful weather
Word Forms
more frightful comparative, more frightful comparative, most frightful superlative, most frightful superlative
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Etymology
Built from "fright" plus "-ful" ("full of"), so literally "full of fright" — though today it more often just means "very bad".