恐ろしい・怖ろしい|おそろしいosoroshii[4]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectiveterrible; dreadful; terrifying; frightening
   その嵐あらしの天候てんこうは恐おそろしかった。↗

   The stormy weather was dreadful.
2. i-adjectivesurprising; startling; tremendous; amazingoften as 恐ろしく

• Synonym怖いこわいNeutralThe most common word in speech for feeling scared or finding something scary; milder than 「恐ろしい」. Also for a fierce, intimidating person, as in 「先生が怖い」.
• SynonymすごいNeutralEveryday word for amazing or tremendous; in modern speech usually positive, as in 「すごい！」, with little sense of fear.
• Synonym凄まじいすさまじいNeutralDescribes extraordinary intensity or violence, as in 「すさまじい勢い」; can be horrifying, or simply mean astonishing.
• Synonymもの恐ろしいものおそろしいWrittenWritten-style word for something vaguely, inexplicably frightening, with an eerie, sinister feel.
• SynonymおっかないCasualColloquial for scary or frightening, with a folksy, dialectal flavor; keep it to casual conversation.
• Synonym恐ろしげおそろしげWrittenWritten-style word for looking frightening rather than being frightening; describes outward appearance, as in 「恐ろしげな顔」.
• RelatedものすごいNeutralIn modern usage mostly means tremendous or extreme in degree, as in 「ものすごい人」, and does not necessarily imply anything frightening.
• RelatedおぞましいWrittenWritten word for something chilling and repulsive, as in 「おぞましい事件」; carries a sense of physical revulsion.
• Related凄惨せいさんWrittenWritten word for ghastly, gruesome scenes, as in 「凄惨な現場」; typical of accidents and crimes.
• RelatedむごたらしいWrittenStresses cruelty: atrocious, brutal, horrible to see, as in 「むごたらしい殺し方」.
• Related酸鼻さんびWrittenWritten word for scenes too horrible to look at, as in 「酸鼻を極める」; mostly seen in news reports and other writing.
• RelatedおどろおどろしいWrittenEerie and sinister; often describes atmosphere or style, as in 「おどろおどろしい音楽」, rather than direct danger.
• Antonym怖くないCasualColloquial: not scary, or feeling no fear; the direct opposite of 「恐ろしい」.
• Antonym安全なNeutralSafe and free from danger; the opposite of the danger and fear that 「恐ろしい」 conveys.

For everyday fear or something scary, use 「怖い」; 「恐ろしい」 is stronger and can also mean astonishing. For gruesome scenes use 「凄惨」 or 「むごたらしい」, for repulsive things 「おぞましい」, and for sheer intensity 「すごい」 or 「すさまじい」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 物事ものごとに畏怖いふ、恐怖きょうふを覚おぼえる。こわい。
2. 不思議ふしぎだ。わからない。
3. 程度ていどがある基準きじゅんを超こえていて、はなはだしい。
4. （「おそろしく」「おそろしいほど」などの形かたちで）異常いじょうに。桁違けたちがいに。驚おどろくほど。