exceptionally frightening

USAGE SUMMARY

"exceptionally frightening" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is extremely scary or alarming. An example would be: "The horror movie was exceptionally frightening, leaving the audience in shock." Alternative expressions include "extremely terrifying" and "incredibly scary."

✓ Grammatically correct

Sleep paralysis

Fraud

Growth analysis

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

These sorts of dreams are common in conjunction with sleep paralysis, and they are known to be exceptionally frightening.

WikiHow

Leeson, sentenced to six and a half years for fraud against Britain's oldest merchant bank his crimes led to losses of $1.4 billion–said the loopholes for abuse remained wide open: "I find it exceptionally frightening because I know how basic the checks were that should have been done to catch me…If they haven't been put in place, I think that is shocking.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

When they take a trip on a plane, he is exceptionally frightened.

Huffington Post

For an exceptionally insightful — and frightening — analysis of this problem, see "Stall Points: Barriers to Growth for the Large Corporate Enterprise" (Washington, D.C.: Corporate Strategy Board, 1998).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

And health workers in Karachi – with its population of more than 20 million, communities of internal refugees from conflict zones, slums and frightening reputation for political and criminal violence – face an exceptionally daunting task.

The Guardian

"His goal ratio is frightening from the national team to coming here, and he is leading the line exceptionally well".

BBC

This frightening.

The Washington Post

Sound frightening?

The New York Times

Sometimes, frightening.

The New Yorker

and quite frightening.

University of California, Berkeley

Fainting is frightening.

Harvard University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "exceptionally frightening", consider the specific context to ensure it accurately conveys the intended level of fear or alarm. Overuse can diminish its impact, so reserve it for situations that genuinely warrant such strong emphasis.

Common error

Avoid stringing together multiple intensifiers like "very exceptionally frightening". This can sound redundant and weaken your writing. Choose one strong word or phrase to convey the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exceptionally frightening" functions as a compound adjective, modifying a noun to describe something that evokes a high degree of fear. It intensifies the adjective "frightening", indicating a heightened level of alarm or terror, according to Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "exceptionally frightening" serves as a powerful descriptor, emphasizing a heightened state of fear or alarm. As indicated by Ludwig, it is grammatically sound and utilized across various contexts, including academic, news, and general descriptive writing. While not extremely common, its consistent usage and clear purpose make it a valuable tool for expressing intense emotions. Alternatives such as "extremely terrifying" or "incredibly scary" offer similar nuances, providing writers with options to fine-tune their expression. When employing "exceptionally frightening", it's important to be aware of the contexts that warrant such a strong intensifier, avoiding overuse to maintain its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exceptionally terrifying

Replacing frightening with its synonym, terrifying, still creates the same meaning and context.

extremely terrifying

This alternative uses a different adjective ("terrifying") to amplify the sense of fear, maintaining a similar level of intensity.

extraordinarily frightening

Uses the term "extraordinarily" to emphasize the intensity of fear experienced.

incredibly scary

This uses "incredibly" instead of "exceptionally" and "scary" in place of "frightening", offering a slightly more informal tone.

remarkably alarming

Replaces both words with near synonyms, emphasizing the unsettling nature of something.

uncommonly frightening

Uses the word "uncommonly" to convey how frightening something is.

unusually terrifying

Substitutes "exceptionally" with "unusually", maintaining the focus on the intensity of the fear.

particularly frightening

Uses "particularly" as a substitute for "exceptionally", indicating a notable degree of fear.

horrifyingly exceptional

Flips the words while still using similar synonyms with one another.

unusually unnerving

Expresses a similar feeling of anxiety or unease, though perhaps slightly less intense than pure fear.

FAQs

How can I use "exceptionally frightening" in a sentence?

You can use "exceptionally frightening" to describe situations, experiences, or entities that evoke a high degree of fear. For example: "The sleep paralysis episode was "exceptionally frightening", leaving her shaken."

What are some alternatives to "exceptionally frightening"?

Alternatives include "extremely terrifying", "incredibly scary", or "remarkably alarming", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "exceptionally frightening" a formal or informal phrase?

"Exceptionally frightening" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though it may be more common in descriptive writing or narratives where conveying strong emotion is important. The tone may be more neutral in certain articles such as news and media reports.

What makes something "exceptionally frightening" as opposed to just "frightening"?

The use of "exceptionally" intensifies the feeling of fear. Something that is ""exceptionally frightening"" elicits a significantly higher level of fear or alarm than something that is merely "frightening".