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🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

haarsträubend

Pronunciation / Transliteration: haar-stroy-bent

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Hair-raising/ˈhɛərˌreɪ.zɪŋ/
adjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Das war eine haarsträubende Geschichte."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Terrifying, thrilling, or extremely frightening in a way that causes a strong physical reaction of shock or fear.

    "The stunt driver performed a hair-raising escape through the narrow alleyways."
  2. 2

    Excitingly dangerous or intensely suspenseful.

    "We listened to her hair-raising tale of survival in the freezing wilderness."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the physical phenomenon of piloerection (goosebumps or hair standing on end) when experiencing intense fear, shock, or extreme excitement. The term entered general English usage in the 19th century, combining 'hair' (Old English hǣr) and 'raising' from Old Norse roots, vividly capturing the visceral physical response to terror or thrilling experiences.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

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Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Hair-raising"

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