as in to frighten
to strike with fear
a ghastly sight that would affright any person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affright
Verb
-
There’s no surefire way to frighten bees and other stinger pollinators from your home, but there are ways to make your living space less attractive to them.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
7 Apr. 2026 -
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The coyote grabbed the boy and took him to the ground before a nearby adult rushed over and scared the animal away.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
That didn’t scare off the Mets, who signed him to a two-year deal in December and invited him to spring training.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Less than a week after the Rangers selected him in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Adam Sýkora stood 100 stories above downtown Manhattan, terrified.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Hand & The Eye likely will open with little in the way of advance reservations, a situation that would terrify most producers of live entertainment.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maybe their first kiss wasn’t a spontaneous expression of care, but a deliberate attempt to startle Emma.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Horner dropped a package, McGuire said, and was startled by the team.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affright. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
