terrifiant
/tɛ.ʁi.fjɑ̃/
The English word "terrifying" can be translated into French as terrifiant.
terrifiant is an adjective used to describe something that is frightening or intimidating.
Meaning: frightening or intimidating (adj)
Which one should you use?
While terrifiant implies an extreme, overwhelming sense of terror, effrayant is a more common, general term for something simply frightening or scary.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, so use the feminine form terrifiante for feminine nouns. The adjective must agree in number with the noun it modifies, so use the masculine plural form terrifiants for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form terrifiantes for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /tɛ.ʁi.fjɑ̃/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While terrifiant describes the object causing fear, French speakers often use the phrase avoir la chair de poule to describe the physical reaction to something terrifying, which translates literally as 'having chicken skin'.
- The word terreur is used in the historical name la Terreur to describe the most violent period of the French Revolution, where thousands were executed by guillotine.
- If a movie is 'terrifying', a French critic might call it épouvantable, a word that also means 'appalling' or 'terrible' in a moral sense.
Examples in context
- Je n'ai jamais lu un roman aussi terrifiant.I've never read a novel so terrifying.This sentence shows how to describe a novel as terrifying using terrifiant.Tatoeba #1156440 by Korekorin, translation #11612635 by tieguy
- Je n'ai jamais lu un roman aussi terrifiant que celui-ci.Never have I read so terrifying a novel as this.This sentence is useful for comparing the level of terror in a novel using terrifiant.Tatoeba #11563 by Lulantis, translation #54625 by al_ex_an_der
- C'est terrifiant.That's terrifying.This sentence is a simple way to state that something is terrifying using terrifiant.Tatoeba #1679245 by sacredceltic, translation #1676703 by Spamster
- Le film d'horreur était vraiment effrayantThe horror movie was truly terrifying
- La scène était terrifianteThe scene was terrifying
- C'était une expérience épouvantableIt was a terrifying experience
- Le son effarant de la tempête nous effrayaThe terrifying sound of the storm frightened us
- Ce film était vraiment flippant !That movie was really terrifying!
- La promenade nocturne dans cette forêt était effrayante. J'ai eu très peur.The nighttime walk in that forest was terrifying. I was very scared.
- Les montagnes russes sont vraiment terrifiantes, mais j'adore ça !Roller coasters are truly terrifying, but I love them!
- Le bruit soudain dans le grenier était épouvantable, cela m'a figé sur place.The sudden noise in the attic was horrifying, it froze me in place.
- Je déteste regarder des films d'horreur. Ils sont trop flippants pour moi !I hate watching horror movies. They are too terrifying for me!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are discussing a horror movie they just watched.
- EmmaLe film était vraiment terrifiant.The movie was truly terrifying.
- GabrielOui, j'ai eu très peur.Yes, I was very scared.
- EmmaLa fin était le moment le plus terrifiant.The ending was the most terrifying part.
- GabrielJe ne veux plus jamais le voir.I never want to see it again.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “terrifying” translations and entries terrifiant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
