frightened; frightening
ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈfrīt-niŋ
1
: to make afraid : terrify
The movie scene frightened the child.
2
: to drive or force by frightening
frightened the boy into confessing
: to become frightened
She doesn't frighten easily.
Examples of frighten in a Sentence
The story really frightened me.
The child was badly frightened by the mask.
Recent Examples on the Web
On May 18, Palmer and the cast attended the Shadyside High Senior Prom ’88 experience as guests explored versions of the gymnasium, lockers, girls’ bathroom and more locations designed to frighten fans.
—
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
What to know The Astra channel said that Tokarev, head of the military medical commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol, got frightened during an air raid alarm overnight on May 1 sparked by a Ukrainian drone barrage.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Trump’s policies have shaken financial markets and frightened consumers.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
By sharing a visual insight into their space, Spencer hopes people won’t be frightened by the unknown.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
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Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
What to know The Astra channel said that Tokarev, head of the military medical commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol, got frightened during an air raid alarm overnight on May 1 sparked by a Ukrainian drone barrage.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
Trump’s policies have shaken financial markets and frightened consumers.
—Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
By sharing a visual insight into their space, Spencer hopes people won’t be frightened by the unknown.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frighten. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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