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
  • If your child is frightened of needles, another option is nasal spray.
    — Eva Flowe August 19, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And for members who have a long history, who are used to running on that long history, that frightens them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of frighten
Verb
  • Writer-director Jacob Chase is uniquely qualified to distill what really scares audiences.
    — William Earl, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • While City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insists the Italian is excited by a challenge that would scare many.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of scare
Verb
  • For Thomas, unpacking what went wrong goes well beyond the headless bodies, terrifying phone calls and dead ends.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Jurors in 2025 failed to reach verdicts in the case that terrified Davis in late April and early May 2023.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrify
Verb
  • Preconceptions, assumptions, and advance knowledge in the viewing public are regarded as impediments to the capacity of the tale to surprise, startle, or transport.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes workers would be startled by the sight of a machine moving by itself and realize it was being controlled by someone in Turkey.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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