frighten

[frahyt-n]

verb (used with object)

1. to make afraid or fearful; throw into a fright; terrify; scare.

   Synonyms: intimidate, dismay, startle, shock

2. to drive (usually followed by away, off, etc.) by scaring.

   to frighten away pigeons from the roof.

verb (used without object)

1. to become frightened.

   a timid child who frightens easily.

frighten

/ ˈfraɪtən /

verb

1. to cause fear in; terrify; scare

2. to drive or force to go (away, off, out, in, etc) by making afraid

Other Word Forms

• frightenable adjective
• frightener noun
• frighteningly adverb
• nonfrightening adjective
• nonfrighteningly adverb
• overfrighten verb
• unfrightening adjective
• frightening adjective
• frightened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frighten¹

First recorded in 1660–70; fright + -en ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see scare out of one's wits.

Synonym Study

Frighten, alarm, scare, terrify, terrorize, appall all mean to arouse fear in people or animals. To frighten is to shock with sudden, startling, but usually short-lived fear, especially that arising from the apprehension of physical harm: to frighten someone by a sudden noise. To alarm is to arouse the feelings through the realization of some imminent or unexpected danger: to alarm someone by a scream. To scare is to frighten, often without the presence of real danger: Horror movies really scare me. To terrify is to strike with violent, overwhelming, or paralyzing fear: to terrify a city by lawless acts. To terrorize is to terrify in a general, continued, systematic manner, either wantonly or in order to gain control: His marauding armies terrorized the countryside. To appall is to overcome or confound by dread, dismay, shock, or horror: The suffering caused by the earthquake appalled him.

Example Sentences

He said the experience, which saw him hit in the knee by a brick, was "quite frightening".

From BBC

The brutality quickly became frightening to all who watched.

From Los Angeles Times

A sniff of a rotting old chair frightens Indy so much, he wets the rug.

From Los Angeles Times

Hegseth’s cryptic call for hundreds of generals and admirals to meet next week at Quantico, Va., is chilling in its implication and frightening in its scope.

From Salon

Anyone claiming to know for sure is either lying, trying to frighten you into giving money, or both.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitate 
• alarm 
• astound 
• awe 
• daunt 
• demoralize 
• deter 
• disconcert 
• discourage 
• dishearten 
• dismay 
• faze 
• horrify 
• intimidate 
• perturb 
• petrify 
• startle 
• terrify 
• terrorize 
• unnerve