different between gruesome vs frightening

English

Etymology

From grue (“to shudder”) +? -some. Compare Danish and Norwegian grusom (“horrible”), German grausam (“cruel”), and Dutch gruwzaam (“gruesome; cruel”).

Adjective

gruesome (comparative gruesomer or more gruesome, superlative gruesomest or most gruesome)

1. Repellently frightful and shocking; horrific or ghastly.
   • 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 6

     In the middle of the floor lay a skeleton, every vestige of flesh gone from the bones to which still clung the mildewed and moldered remnants of what had once been clothing. Upon the bed lay a similar gruesome thing, but smaller, while in a tiny cradle near-by was a third, a wee mite of a skeleton.

Translations

English

Etymology

frighten +? -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?a?t?n??/, /?f?a?tn??/
• Hyphenation: fright?en?ing

Adjective

frightening (comparative more frightening, superlative most frightening)

1. Causing fear; of capable of causing fear; scary.

   Riding the rollercoaster was a frightening experience.

2. (figuratively) Awful, terrible, very bad.

Synonyms

• Thesaurus:frightening

Derived terms

• frighteningly

Translations

Verb

frightening

1. present participle of frighten

   The scientist was frightening the timid children.