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
  • The anti-45 campaign is trying to scare voters with a Halloween bogeyman.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Although Down was not the victim, the case definitely scared her family.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of scare
Verb
  • No wonder Dad had been terrified of making a mistake, of relaxing or trusting others enough to let his guard down.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Now a ruthless emperor, Paul must face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge and betrayal lurks in every shadow.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrify
Verb
  • 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
  • The parents admit to some corporal punishment, but of a mild sort—the kind that might startle a child but which wouldn’t do bodily harm.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 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 29 Oct. 2026.

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