frighten

verb

fright·​en ˈfrī-tᵊn 

frightened; frightening ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈfrīt-niŋ

transitive verb

1

: to make afraid : terrify

The movie scene frightened the child.

2

a

: to drive or force by frightening

—used with into

frightened the boy into confessing

b

: to cause to go or stay away through fear

—often used with away or off

The dog frightened the prowler away.

The high prices frighten off tourists.

intransitive verb

: to become frightened

She doesn't frighten easily.

frighteningly

ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ-lē 

ˈfrīt-niŋ-lē

adverb

Synonyms of frighten

• scare
• terrify
• startle
• spook

Examples of frighten in a Sentence

The story really frightened me.

The child was badly frightened by the mask.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs. —Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026

Facing cameras and a swath of media in her tiny hometown, Long Rife was not frightened by the prospect of moving cross-country. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026

Grete is frightened of her brother, of course. —Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

fright entry 1 + -en entry 2

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing frighten

• frighten away/off
• frighten into
• frighten out of
• frighten/scare the life out of
• frighten the life out of
• frighten to death

Rhymes for frighten

• brighten
• chitin
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• tighten
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• enlighten
• exciton
• periphyton

Kids Definition

frighten

verb

fright·​en ˈfrīt-ᵊn 

frightened; frightening ˈfrīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to make afraid : terrify

2

: to drive away or out by frightening

3

: to become frightened

frighteningly

-niŋ-lē 

-ᵊn-iŋ-

adverb