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
  • Parents were taught to respond supportively while stepping back from rescuing their child from what frightened them.
    — Deldhy Nicolás Moya Sánchez, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The company pictured tales that might start in an Indian hamlet yet still frighten viewers in Seoul or São Paulo.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Nov. 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
  • The bill is named after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who was killed when a horse got startled and threw him from a carriage in Central Park.
    — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Doing so can startle the dog and make the barking worse, LaSala says.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 4 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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