frighten
verb
\
, ˈfrīt-niŋ \
Definition of frighten
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from frighten
, ˈfrīt-niŋ-lē \
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for frighten
Synonyms
affright, alarm (also alarum), fright, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize
Antonyms
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of frighten in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Such is the government’s grip that even those artists whose music seems critical of the government are frightened of it being framed that way. — New York Times, "A Music Genre Grows in Zimbabwe, Fueled by Rage Against Authority," 7 Sep. 2019 The mystery is a comedy and will at no time have guests frightened or confused. — Lois Szymanski, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Central Carroll: Murder mystery fundraiser invites locals to solve ‘whodunnit’; cornhole tournament," 4 Sep. 2019 With its new policy on ‘‘open carry,’’ McMillon noted in his memo that individuals have tried to make a statement by carrying weapons into its stores just to frighten workers and customers. — Anne D’innocenzio, BostonGlobe.com, "Walmart to stop selling handgun ammunition," 3 Sep. 2019 While the shelter's solid and safe, the howling wind and slapping rain that will likely accompany Dorian could frighten and rile up the animals. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "Ahead of Hurricane Dorian, a Florida Humane Society found homes for 250 animals in one week," 3 Sep. 2019 Federal prosecutors have said the gang responsible terrorized the Waverly neighborhood and frightened witnesses from coming forward. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Five years after 3-year-old McKenzie Elliott was killed on her Baltimore porch, gunman gets 25-year sentence," 28 Aug. 2019 Many of the cars shudder and jerk and frighten and irritate owners. — Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, "NHTSA says it's reviewing complaints of faulty Ford transmissions," 24 July 2019 Does this scenario frighten you: A secret organization hacks into the city's computer system and infects it with a virus that shuts it down until its demands are met. — Mark Lamster, Dallas News, "Data is shaping the future of Dallas, but be careful what you wish for," 1 Aug. 2019 An abuser can continue to frighten and intimidate well into their own frailty, and that's the impact and consequence of earlier trauma. — Amy Dickinson, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Amy: Woman fears running into her hometown abuser," 29 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frighten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for frighten
frighten
verb
English Language Learners Definition of frighten
See the full definition for frighten in the English Language Learners Dictionary
frighten
verb
\
Kids Definition of frighten
Keep scrolling for more