frighten Hear it!

frighten Definition

frighten (frīt′'n)

transitive verb

  1. to cause to feel fright; make suddenly afraid; scare; terrify
  2. to force (away, out, or off) or bring (into a specified condition) by making afraid to frighten someone into confessing

intransitive verb

to become suddenly afraid

frighten Related Forms

fright′·en·ingly adverb

frighten Synonyms

frighten

v.

  1. To strike with fear

    scare, alarm, terrify, daunt, dismay, cow, terrorize, shock, startle, dishearten, abash, dispirit, throw into a fright, raise apprehension, intimidate, deter, threaten, prey on the mind, badger, petrify, panic, demoralize, give cause for alarm, put in fear, give one a fright, horrify, appall, awe, perturb, disturb, disquiet, faze, discomfort, unnerve, harrow, unman, confound with dread, strike terror into, affright, spook*, frighten out of one's wits*, take one's breath away*, chill to the bone*, make one's hair stand on end*, make one's blood run cold*, make one's flesh creep*, put one's heart in one's mouth*, give one a turn*, scare one stiff*, freeze the blood*, curdle the blood*, scare the daylights out of*.

    Antonyms encourage*, hearten*, reassure. *

  2. To drive off, because of alarm

    scare off, scare away, intimidate, discourage, repel, stave off, frighten away, stampede, put to flight, deter, browbeat, bulldoze*.

    Antonyms fascinate*, inveigle*, entice.

frighten is the broadest of these terms and implies, usually, a sudden, temporary feeling of fear frightened by a mouse but sometimes, a state of continued dread she's frightened when she's alone; scare, often equivalent to frighten, often implies a fear that causes one to flee or to stop doing something I scared him from the room; alarm suggests a sudden fear or apprehension at the realization of an approaching danger alarmed by his warning; to terrify is to cause to feel an overwhelming, often paralyzing fear terrified at the thought of war; terrorize implies deliberate intention to terrify by threat or intimidation the gangsters terrorized the city

frighten Usage Examples

Object

  • horse: Tories who favor a smaller state are thought to " frighten the horses " .
  • cat: Some of these you would choose to hang on your wall, others might frighten the cat.
  • lady: This is sounding more and more like a farce, dressed up by the government to frighten old ladies into not flying.
  • enemy: The most dangerous illusion today is that a mass protest can frighten the enemy.
  • anyone: This is the ultimate playing way for anyone frightened by the complex layout of games.
  • bird: Several possibilities have been suggested: Humans get to near the nest, frighten the bird off a or trample the eggs.

Subject

noise: Visitors should however leave pets and very young children at home, as they may be frightened by the noise.

Modifying Another Word

  • terribly: He was terribly frightened and suffered from the effects of gas, but rescuers got him out.
  • too: The family are too frightened to fight for their own rights or the rights of their children.
  • thoroughly: Thoroughly frightened, Zamora threw himself on the ground.
  • badly: But we can also tell you about school children in Mosul who were badly frightened when they learned that Americans were visiting their school.

Followed by an intransitive particle

off: Not to be frightened off easily, he pursues the intruder with the knife in his hand.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • away: Their supposed magical strength would frighten away malevolent demons.
  • off: A rapid exposure of eye spots can sometimes frighten off predators allowing enough time to escape.

Infinitive complement

  • speak: Every academic who has studied the subject knows what we know, but mostly they have been too frightened to speak out.
  • ask: Too frightened to change or perhaps too frightened to ask for what you want out of life?

Particle object:

spirit: The purpose of many of the festivities is to frighten away bad spirits.

Preposition: of

  • noise: The story of elephants being frightened of mice probably came about because elephants are frightened of sudden, unexpected noises or movements.
  • dark: Ask Our Experts: 5 Yr-Old Terrified of The Dark How can you help a child who's frightened of the dark?

Preposition: by

noise: Visitors should however leave pets and very young children at home, as they may be frightened by the noise.

Browse dictionary entries near frighten

  1. ‹ fright wig
  2. ‹ fright
  3. ‹ frigging
  4. ‹ Frigg
  5. ‹ frigate bird
  6. ‹ frigate
  7. ‹ frig
  8. ‹ frieze
  9. ‹ Friesland
  10. ‹ Friesian
  1. frightened ›
  2. frightening ›
  3. frightful ›
  4. frigid ›
  5. Frigid Zone ›
  6. Frigidaire ›
  7. frigidity ›
  8. frigorific ›
  9. Friis, Harald T. ›
  10. frijol ›