frightened; frightening
ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈfrīt-niŋ
1
: to make afraid : terrify
The movie scene frightened the child.
2
: to drive or force by frightening
frightened the boy into confessing
: 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 goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.
—
A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The American Declaration of Independence and Constitution frightened monarchies and despots around the world without a single bullet or gunboat.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
The king of the forest was once frightened by the sound of a bull.
—John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
The prospect of returning to the role, first for a West End reprise in February and then for the Brooklyn performance frightened her.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
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A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
The American Declaration of Independence and Constitution frightened monarchies and despots around the world without a single bullet or gunboat.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 14 Apr. 2025
The king of the forest was once frightened by the sound of a bull.
—John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
The prospect of returning to the role, first for a West End reprise in February and then for the Brooklyn performance frightened her.
—Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 26 Mar. 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 24 May. 2025.
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