恐ろしい（おそろしい、osoroshii）
- scary

The Japanese word 恐ろしい (おそろしい) means "frightening," "terrible," "scary," "dreadful," or "alarming." It expresses a strong feeling of fear, dread, or apprehension. It describes something that causes one to feel fear or that is likely to cause harm or danger. The level of fear can range from mild to intense. The meaning can also extend to something awe-inspiring.

⚫︎ あの映画は恐ろしかった。 Translation: That movie was scary. ⚫︎ 恐ろしい出来事が起こった。 Translation: A terrible event happened. ⚫︎ 彼女は彼の恐ろしい態度に驚いた。 Translation: She was shocked by his frightening attitude.

恐ろしい is used to describe things or situations that evoke fear or dread. It can be used to describe physical threats, emotional distress, or even abstract concepts that are frightening. It's often used when talking about horror movies, scary stories, dangerous situations, or anything that causes a strong negative emotional response. The word can be used to describe the speaker's own feelings or to describe something else as frightening. You can use it in formal and informal contexts. Note that using 恐ろしい in direct address can be perceived as rude.

恐ろしい is typically written with the kanji 恐 (kyou, osore – fear), the hiragana ろ (ro), the hiragana し (shi), and the hiragana い (i). The base form is 恐ろしい. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is standard. Here's how the word conjugates: ⚫︎ Adjectival form: 恐ろしい (frightening) ⚫︎ Negative form: 恐ろしくない (not frightening) ⚫︎ Past tense form: 恐ろしかった (was frightening) ⚫︎ "To make something frightening" form: 恐ろしくする (to make something frightening) ⚫︎ Adverbial form: 恐ろしく (frighteningly)

⚫︎ 怖い (こわい) - scary, frightening (more common and versatile) ⚫︎ 恐れる (おそれる) - to fear, to be afraid ⚫︎ 怖い (こわい) - fearful ⚫︎ ぞっとする (zotto suru) - to be horrified; to feel a shudder of fear ⚫︎ おぞましい (ozomashii) - gruesome, horrible, dreadful ⚫︎ 物恐ろしい (monoo soroshii) - frightful, dreadful ⚫︎ 悍ましい (osomashii) - dreadful, horrible, appalling, shocking

⚫︎ 安心な (あんしんな) - safe, secure, relieved ⚫︎ 安全な (あんぜんな) - safe, secure ⚫︎ 嬉しい (うれしい) - happy, glad ⚫︎ 楽しい (たのしい) - fun, enjoyable

その嵐は恐ろしかった。 ・Translation: That storm was frightening. ・Explanation: The sentence describes a storm that caused fear.

彼は恐ろしい病気にかかった。 ・Translation: He contracted a terrible disease. ・Explanation: The sentence uses 恐ろしい to describe a disease as something dreadful and alarming.

The kanji 恐 (kyou, osore) means "fear" or "dread." The word derives from the concept of fear and dread. The word is an adjective.