frightful

Etymology

From Middle English frightful (“afraid”), from Old English forhtful (“fainthearted, timorous”). Equivalent to fright + -ful.

adj

1. (obsolete) Full of fright, whether
   1. Afraid, frightened.
      Ðis frigtful ðus a-biden, c. 1250, Genesis and Exodus, line 3459
   2. Timid, fearful, easily frightened.
      See how the frightful herds run from the wood. 1613, William Browne, Britannia's Pastorals
2. Full of something causing fright, whether
   1. Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming.
   2. (hyperbolic) Unpleasant, dreadful, awful (also used as an intensifier).
      Francis Urquhart: What a frightful little man. Where do they find them these days? Tim Stamper: God knows. If I had a dog like that, I'd shoot it. Francis Urquhart: Well, yes. Quite. 1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 1

adv

1. (dialect) Frightfully; very.
   You had a lot of frightful good quotes. You must know half the books that there are. 1926, Charles Edward Montague, Rough Justice, page 87
   It's a frightful long time, and I don't get many letters from him. 1942, Philip Gibbs, The Long Alert, page 200
   But we ain't found a soul what knows you, honey-love, I am so frightful sorry to say. 2018, Abbie Williams, Way Back