frighten
verb (used with object)
to make afraid or fearful; throw into a fright; terrify; scare.
have been frightening
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present perfect progressiveof frighten.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The consequences of that targeting have been frightening.
From Slate ● Nov. 25, 2025
The experiences have been frightening for his 8-year-old nephew, too, who started to believe the airport was America, Hukoor said.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 21, 2021
Recent weeks have been "frightening," according to biker Colin Craig.
From BBC ● May 28, 2021
“The imagery would have frightened me. Things like ‘Doctor Who’ would have been frightening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2020
That would have been frightening enough in its own right, but the animal’s teeth weren’t what rooted Ekon to the dirt; it was the thing’s eyes.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
