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
Thousands of residents and visitors have left Santorini, frightened by the earthquakes measuring between magnitude 3 and magnitude 5 in the area since the weekend.
—
Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
President Trump did no one any favors and his irresponsible accusations were meant to confuse and spread an unfounded conspiracy while both trying to score political points as well as frighten the flying public needlessly.
—Michael B. Teiger, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2025
That, in turn, frightens most dissenters and distracts the public when Putin fails to fulfill the economic promises he’s made.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025
In the security footage, which amassed over 1.2 million views, one cat ran up the stairs frightened after hearing a commotion coming in the closet under the stairs.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
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Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
President Trump did no one any favors and his irresponsible accusations were meant to confuse and spread an unfounded conspiracy while both trying to score political points as well as frighten the flying public needlessly.
—Michael B. Teiger, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2025
That, in turn, frightens most dissenters and distracts the public when Putin fails to fulfill the economic promises he’s made.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2025
In the security footage, which amassed over 1.2 million views, one cat ran up the stairs frightened after hearing a commotion coming in the closet under the stairs.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 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 1 Mar. 2025.
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