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affright

[ uh-frahyt ]
/ əˈfraɪt /
Archaic.
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verb (used with object)
to frighten.
noun
sudden fear or terror; fright.
a source of terror.
the act of terrifying.
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Origin of affright

before 1000; Middle English afrighten,Old English āfyrhtan, equivalent to ā-a-3 + fyrhtan to fright

OTHER WORDS FROM affright

self-af·fright·ed, adjectiveun·af·fright·ed, adjectiveun·af·fright·ed·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to affright

alarm, daunt, fright, intimidate, panic, scare, spook, startle, terrify

How to use affright in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for affright

affright
/ (əˈfraɪt) archaic, or poetic /
verb
(tr) to frighten
noun
a sudden terror

Word Origin for affright

Old English āfyrhtan, from a-, a prefix indicating the beginning or end of an action + fyrhtan to fright
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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