affright

verb

ə-ˈfrīt How to pronounce affright (audio)
Definition of affrightnext
as in to frighten
to strike with fear a ghastly sight that would affright any person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for affright
  1. frighten
  2. scare
  3. terrify
  4. startle
Verb
  • For Cox and Walker, the challenge was to introduce horror-film conventions without frightening the franchise’s youngest viewers.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Guitarricadelafuente said he was initially frightened by the prospect of acting in La Bola Negra.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of frighten
Verb
  • Just learning about each room was enough to scare the troop of Brownies.
    — The Learning Network, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • His campaign strategy in the days before the election seemed to rely on scaring the Israeli public into voting for him.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of scare
Verb
  • If the thought of having your email inbox leaked to the world doesn’t terrify you, better check that pulse.
    — Stephanie Barnes, PC Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The simple act of a child pedaling down empty hotel hallways on a Big Wheel builds anticipation, terrifying us with what may be around each corner.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrify
Verb
  • One of my co-workers tends to blast through this door at top speed, often startling a person reaching for the handle on the other side.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Surveillance footage & evidence Police reviewed surveillance footage in the area, which showed the two gunshot victims walking, then appear startled, according to court records.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of startle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

affrays
affright
affrighted
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Cite this Entry

“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affright. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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