frighten

verb

fright·​en ˈfrī-tᵊn 

frightened; frightening ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈfrīt-niŋ

transitive verb

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.

intransitive verb

: to become frightened

She doesn't frighten easily.

frighteningly

ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ-lē 

ˈfrīt-niŋ-lē

adverb

Synonyms of frighten

• scare
• terrify
• startle
• spook

Examples of frighten in a Sentence

The story really frightened me.

The child was badly frightened by the mask.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, Stone told Bialik that she was not frightened by the encounter. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Elmo is frightened by the noise of the fire alarm and subsequent sirens. — Julie Dobrow, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026

Examples of non-compliant headgear/face coverings include inappropriate face paint, offensive prosthetics, make up or masks intended to frighten, and fursuits. — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

fright entry 1 + -en entry 2

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing frighten

• frighten away/off
• frighten into
• frighten out of
• frighten/scare the life out of
• frighten the life out of
• frighten to death

Rhymes for frighten

• brighten
• chitin
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• tighten
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• enlighten
• exciton
• periphyton

Kids Definition

frighten

verb

fright·​en ˈfrīt-ᵊn 

frightened; frightening ˈfrīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to make afraid : terrify

2

: to drive away or out by frightening

3

: to become frightened

frighteningly

-niŋ-lē 

-ᵊn-iŋ-

adverb