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

: to drive or force by frightening

frightened the boy into confessing

intransitive verb

: to become frightened

She doesn't frighten easily.

frighteningly

ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ-lē 

ˈfrīt-niŋ-lē

adverb

Synonyms

• affright
• alarm
• alarum
• fright
• horrify
• panic
• scare
• scarify
• shock
• spook
• startle
• terrify
• terrorize

Examples of frighten in a Sentence

The story really frightened me.

The child was badly frightened by the mask.

Recent Examples on the Web

Where another artist might rely on grotesque specifics to frighten the reader, Mignola’s insinuating expanses of black ink conceal all but the most necessary details of a rich and malevolent world, filled with monstrosities, yes, but also oddities, many of them delightful. —Sam Thielman, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025

As the devastating wildfires began to sweep across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, frightened residents were not turning to Netflix. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025

Have a plan for safely evacuating your pets, who may be frightened. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2025

Begging her guardian angel to rewind time and save her, Shepherd is by turns imperious, disbelieving, and frightened. —Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024

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

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