Japanese word

恐ろしい

Pronunciation

Romajiosoroshii

Meaning

  • i-adjectivescary

Example

その映画は恐ろしいです。so no ei ga wa oso ro shi i de su

That movie is scary.

Illustration for 恐ろしい (scary)

More examples

夜の森で、恐ろしい声が聞こえました。yoru no mori de oso ro shi i koe ga ki ko e ma shi ta

I heard a scary voice in the forest at night.

Core concept

Describes something that causes fear or a strong feeling of danger.

Common phrases

  • 恐ろしい話oso ro shi i hanashi

    a scary story

  • 恐ろしい夢oso ro shi i yume

    a scary dream

Similar words

怖いkowai: Describes something that makes a person feel afraid or uneasy.
おっかないokkanai: Describes something frightening in casual spoken language.

Definition in Japanese

恐怖や不安を感じさせるさま。kyō fu ya fu an o kan ji sa se ru sa ma

Word origin

The native Japanese adjective 恐ろしい (osoroshii) is traditionally analyzed as 恐れ (osore, "fear") plus しい (shī, "adjective-forming ending").

Usage tips

  • English learners often confuse scary with scared, but scary describes something that causes fear and scared describes someone who feels it.

Related words

  • 恐ろしさosoroshisascarinessnoun

Word lists with this word