Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| terrificante | /ter.ri.fiˈkan.te/ |
| terribile | /terˈri.bi.le/ |
| spaventoso | /spa.venˈto.zo/ /spa.venˈto.so/ |
These words are used to describe things that are frightening or intimidating. While terrificante is used for extreme, bone-chilling fear, spaventoso is a more general word for something scary. Additionally, the common word terribile is frequently used in everyday speech to mean 'terrible' or 'awful', such as when discussing bad weather or bad news.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in intensity and frequency. terrificante is reserved for extreme fear or things that are truly overwhelming. In contrast, spaventoso is a more common and general way to say scary. Finally, terribile is used most frequently in daily conversation to express that something is awful or terrible.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective spaventoso must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. It changes to spaventosa for feminine nouns and to spaventosi when describing multiple masculine nouns. The adjective spaventoso itself is derived from the verb spaventare, which means to frighten or to scare.
How do you pronounce it?
/ter.ri.fiˈkan.te/. The word has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word spaventoso is often used as a synonym for 'huge' or 'enormous' when describing quantities, such as a spaventosa quantità of work.
- While the English 'terrific' often means 'wonderful' or 'excellent', the Italian cognate terrificante never carries a positive connotation and remains strictly negative.
- Depending on the tone of voice, calling a person terribile can actually be a way of saying they are 'formidable' or 'intimidating' rather than just 'bad'.
Examples in context
- Penso che fosse terrificante.I think it was terrifying.This sentence is useful for expressing a past opinion about something being terrifying using terrificante.Tatoeba #5742667 by Guybrush88, translation #5741248 by CM
- È stata la cosa più terrificante della mia vita.It was the most terrifying thing in my life.This sentence is useful for emphasizing a lifetime experience of something being the most terrifying using terrificante.Tatoeba #11668758 by Nuel, translation #11668757 by Nuel
- È terrificante.That's terrifying.This sentence is useful for a simple statement that something is terrifying using terrificante.Tatoeba #1679255 by Guybrush88, translation #1676703 by Spamster
- Il film che ho visto ieri sera era davvero spaventoso.The movie I watched last night was truly terrifying.
- Quella casa abbandonata sembra inquietante.That abandoned house seems terrifying.
- Quel parco di divertimenti è davvero pauroso!That amusement park is truly terrifying!
- Sì, era davvero spaventoso!Yes, it was truly terrifying!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are talking about a scary movie they just watched.
- GiuliaQuel film era davvero terrificante.That movie was truly terrifying.
- MatteoSì, mi ha fatto molta paura.Yes, it really scared me.
- GiuliaNon voglio più vederlo, è troppo terrificante.I don't want to see it anymore, it is too terrifying.
- MatteoTi capisco, Giulia, era un incubo.I understand you, Giulia, it was a nightmare.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “terrifying” translations and entries terrificante, terribile, spaventoso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
