Definition

Noun: 1. Something that causes intense fear, excitement, or suspense: A "hair-raiser" is an experience, story, or event that is so thrilling, frightening, or shocking it is figuratively said to make one's hair stand on end.

Usage

The word "hair-raiser" is used to describe something that provokes a strong physical reaction of fear or exhilaration. It is often applied to entertainment, such as films, books, or rides, but can also describe real-life events.

Examples

• Noun:
  • That roller coaster was a real hair-raiser.
  • The ghost story he told around the campfire was a genuine hair-raiser.
  • The final minutes of the game were an absolute hair-raiser.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in reviews or casual descriptions to emphasize the thrilling or scary quality of something.
  • Critics called the new thriller "a non-stop hair-raiser."

Variants and Related Words

• Hair-raising (adjective): Causing great fear or excitement.
  • We had a hair-raising experience driving through the mountain pass during the storm.

Synonyms

• Thriller
• Chiller
• Shock
• Scare

Related Idioms

• To make one's hair stand on end: To frighten or shock someone intensely. This is the idiom from which "hair-raiser" is derived.
  • The sound in the dark alley made my hair stand on end.

Noun

1. excitation that makes your hair stand up or that chills your bones
   • the movie was an old-fashioned hair-raiser