frightened; frightening
ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈfrīt-niŋ
1
: to make afraid : terrify
The movie scene frightened the child.
2
a
: to drive or force by frightening
—used with into
frightened the boy into confessing
b
: to cause to go or stay away through fear
—often used with away or off
The dog frightened the prowler away.
The high prices frighten off tourists.
: 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
And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.
—
CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The verb deter was coined in the English language in the 16th century from the Latin deterreo (to frighten) and first applied systematically in 18th- and 19th-century criminological texts.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
Putin seeks not only to frighten Europeans but to unnerve Americans, as well.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Putin seeks not only to frighten Europeans but to unnerve Americans, as well.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
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CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
The verb deter was coined in the English language in the 16th century from the Latin deterreo (to frighten) and first applied systematically in 18th- and 19th-century criminological texts.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
Putin seeks not only to frighten Europeans but to unnerve Americans, as well.
—Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025
Putin seeks not only to frighten Europeans but to unnerve Americans, as well.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 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 15 Dec. 2025.
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