bloodcurdler

[ bluhd-kur-dler ]

noun

1. something causing great fright or horror:

   a bloodcurdler of a mystery novel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloodcurdler¹

First recorded in 1885–90; blood + curdle + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Complained Crowther: “Hitchcock, an old hand at frightening people, comes at you with a club in this frankly intended bloodcurdler.”

From Slate