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
The first Toy Story 5 footage shows the familiar toys appearing to be frightened of a new tablet that is voiced by Greta Lee.
—
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The Care and Keeping of You did not (further) frighten or confuse me.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.
—Time Video, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
The Care and Keeping of You did not (further) frighten or confuse me.
—Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.
—Time Video, Time, 5 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 22 Nov. 2025.
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