FRIGHTEN Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

frighten

verb

ˈfrī-tᵊn

Definition of frighten

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of frighten Her mount, meanwhile, is frightened by lightning and runs off. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 The rising cost of health care has frightened many people, including those with health insurance. — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants. — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 If your child is frightened of needles, another option is nasal spray. — Eva Flowe august 19, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frighten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten

Verb

Since reintroducing Mexican wolves in 1998, the Fish and Wildlife Service has employed some programs to help manage livestock-wolf conflict, like using range-riders to monitor and deter wolves and scaring them off using non-lethal methods.

— Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
What scares me is to see so many people traveling so fast with electric power and with, presumably, no training!

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of scare

Verb

Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
Looking back on taking over a character so closely associated with Parton, Hilty once admitted that the prospect of playing Doralee with Parton watching initially terrified her.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrify

Verb

Tail Town abides by that policy and aims to educate people about uncontrollable factors that could spook a cat outdoors like cars, dogs and wildlife.

— Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spent four years proving a party with post-fascist roots can govern from the center-right without spooking financial markets.

— Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of spook

Browse Nearby Words

frighted

frighten

frightened

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of frighten

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

empirical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes