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
as in terrifying
causing fear
a truly frightening movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scaring
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
The goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.
—A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2025
These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.
—Sonam Sheth
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Verb
They’ve been known to frighten children and ruin picnics, but there is an exception: butterflies.
—Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
The goal of strengthening Washington’s presence should be to reassure partners that U.S. pressure is designed to create stronger alliances, not to pave the way for abandonment, as well as to ensure that resisting China is viable for countries that are frightened by Beijing.
—A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The musician opened up about his mental health to his fans and followers in a 2023 Instagram post, reflecting on a frightening incident from the year before.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 27 Apr. 2025
These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.
—Sonam Sheth
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Adjective
-
The family eventually crosses paths with a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), his sheriff (Colin Hanks) and a terrifying crime boss (Sharon Stone) before chaos ensues.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
The additional terrifying factor was that the plane had only three minutes of fuel left — and Cruise had still not gotten up.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Every celebrity — no matter how small — had at least one stalker or someone obsessed with them, and no fan was creepier or scarier than the ones obsessed with child stars.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
14 May 2025
-
Here’s a scary scenario: You’ve been put in charge of air traffic control at Newark airport near New York.—
Steve Nadis,
Quanta Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tom and Rhyan make a formidable duo on the right side of the line and Jenkins will move to center after spending most of his career at left guard.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Each pits a young heroine of humble means against the formidable, possibly sinister lady of the estate; this time, that quintessential Nicole Kidman role is played by a serenely terrifying Julianne Moore.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
However, her tragic demise spooks and haunts Jen, since her death is incredibly horrible and sad, rocking the whole Capesode community.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
14 May 2025
-
Jurors viewed for a fifth time in two days the video footage of the horrible beating that followed.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
One night the fish was very overcooked and covered with a terrible sauce.—
Sheah Rarback,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
-
Djokovic knew he’d be seeded to play one of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev or Taylor Fritz in the quarters, and in the end landed Zverev, which isn’t a terrible outcome, but would leave him with a possible Sinner-Alcaraz double bill in the semifinals and final to lift the trophy.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
In places where higher education was all but a miraculous dream, the act of reading can be intimidating, exclusionary, not to mention unaffordable for people who spend their days working two to three jobs and twelve-hour shifts.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
Despite their intimidating size, elephant birds were likely herbivores, browsing on fruits, leaves, and low-lying plants.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share