AFFRIGHT Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

affright

verb

ə-ˈfrīt

Definition of affright

as in to frighten

to strike with fear a ghastly sight that would affright any person

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for affright

Verb

Fireworks can frighten animals and send them scattering, but Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets apparently are made of sterner stuff.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
In those moments, what frightened her most was not her own safety but the knowledge that her husband was up there somewhere, flying in the same sky swarming with fighter planes dropping their bombs on Tehran.

— Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026

Definition of frighten

Verb

Gone are the days when the racy content of a show like Love Island USA—where contestants wear next to nothing and more than one has been kicked off for questionable social media posts—would scare advertisers off.

— Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Maybe two or three groups of hoaxers out there at once, bumping into each other in the dark and scaring the scales off one another.

— Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026

Definition of scare

Verb

These get forwarded across the internet, and soon masses of young people are surging into an urban plaza or park, often terrifying any adult who happens to be nearby.

— Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Sebastian Krautz went viral on NBC10 Boston this week after admitting he was initially terrified to travel to the United States because of news about crime and safety.

— Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 4 July 2026

Definition of terrify

Verb

Pochettino’s sources of American sports culture inspiration There were some aspects of American culture, and specifically American sports culture, that clearly startled Pochettino.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Today Twain would be startled by the passivity of a once-mighty Congress that has all but crumbled in the face of pressure from the White House.

— Ron Chernow, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

Definition of startle

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affrays

affright

affrighted

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“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affright. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of affright

verb

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