好词典

frightful

UK //ˈfraɪtfʊl//US //ˈfraɪtfəl//

词源

源自中古英语 frightful,由 fright(恐惧)加形容词后缀 -ful 构成,最早记录于14世纪。

adjective

❶ 形容极其可怕或令人恐惧的事物,程度比frightening更强,常带有夸张或强调的意味。

“The storm last night was frightful, with thunder shaking the windows.”

(昨晚的暴风雨可怕极了,雷声震得窗户直颤。)

“She let out a frightful scream when she saw the spider.”

(看到蜘蛛时,她发出了一声极其恐怖的尖叫。)

❶ 在非正式语境中可表示程度严重或令人不快的,带有夸张或幽默的语气。

“I've got a frightful headache after the party.”

(派对结束后我头疼得要命。)

“The hotel charged a frightful amount for a simple breakfast.”

(这家酒店对一顿简单早餐收费高得离谱。)

同义词:terrifying, horrible, dreadful, awful, ghastly

常见短语

frightful weather — 形容极其恶劣的天气状况,通常带有夸张或抱怨的语气。

“We had to cancel the picnic because of the frightful weather.”

(由于天气糟透了,我们不得不取消野餐计划。)

look frightful — 指某人或某物看起来非常糟糕、可怕或不整洁。

“You look frightful after working all night—go get some rest!”

(你通宵工作后看起来糟透了,快去休息吧!)