frighten
frighten Lexical Profile
frighten Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make someone feel afraid, anxious, or suddenly alarmed.
"The sudden clap of thunder outside the window began to frighten the young puppy."
To drive or force someone or something into or out of a specified place or state by instilling fear (usually followed by an adverb or preposition such as 'away', 'off', or 'into').
"The farmer set up a scarecrow in the middle of the field to frighten the birds away from the newly planted seeds."
To become afraid or startled (used intransitively with an adverb such as 'easily').
"Although the horse looks skittish, it is well-trained and does not frighten easily in heavy traffic."
• Rhymes for frighten
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the mid-17th century from the noun 'fright' (from Old English 'fyrhto', meaning fear or trembling) plus the verbal suffix '-en'. It largely replaced the older verb 'fright' in standard modern usage.