Synonyms of frighten

frighten

verb

ˈfrī-tᵊn 

as in to scare

to strike with fear

around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scare
• terrify
• startle
• spook
• shock
• horrify
• terrorize
• shake
• panic
• fright
• alarm
• affright
• scarify
• distract
• amaze
• worry
• appall
• disturb
• give one the creeps
• jolt
• unsettle
• astound
• make one's flesh creep
• upset
• unnerve
• shake up
• daunt
• dismay
• awe
• dispirit
• emasculate
• disconcert
• distress
• perturb
• discomfort
• demoralize
• floor
• unman
• disquiet
• bowl over
• psych (out)
• undo
• discompose
• unstring
• chill

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassure
• assure
• soothe
• cheer
• comfort
• encourage
• inspire
• console
• steel
• embolden
• solace
• hearten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of frighten

At the very start of the pandemic, while most Americans were hunkered down, frightened for their lives and worried about job loss, RealPage hosted a virtual pep talk for landlords. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Viewers will come away convinced the world’s richest man mostly excels at self-promotion; they’ll also be frightened by the power he’s accrued. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026

But the more productive expansion has to do with character, especially as regards Carrie and her mother, who is not the deranged, abusive religious fanatic of previous versions, but an essentially loving parent frightened of the modern world. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

The stranger’s hollow cheeks, his dark eyes, whose lashes always appeared wet, the bony shoulders that protruded from the singlet Chee Meng had lent him—all of it frightened Shawn. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026