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.
Synonyms
Examples of frighten in a Sentence
The story really frightened me.
The child was badly frightened by the mask.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marina, frightened, fled the spa, almost leaving behind her shirt, and spent the next hour looking over her shoulder to see whether the woman had, in fact, called someone.
—
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Some frightened residents even abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the engulfing blaze.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
With his ghostly appearance, wild hair and scissors for hands, Edward has the capacity to frighten most children, but the younger Depp’s fears stemmed from a different reason entirely.
—Mariel Turner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2025
Sharing this is not meant to frighten anyone but to empower.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Some frightened residents even abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the engulfing blaze.
—Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
With his ghostly appearance, wild hair and scissors for hands, Edward has the capacity to frighten most children, but the younger Depp’s fears stemmed from a different reason entirely.
—Mariel Turner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2025
Sharing this is not meant to frighten anyone but to empower.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten
Dictionary Entries Near frighten
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frighten. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share