Synonyms of frighten

frighten 1 of 3

verb (1)

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

frightening

2 of 3

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 

as in terrifying

causing fear

a truly frightening movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

• terrifying
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating
• alarming
• shocking
• dread
• horrifying
• fearful
• startling
• eerie
• creepy
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• disturbing
• troubling
• gruesome
• forbidding
• fearsome
• dire
• spine-chilling
• horrendous
• trying
• threatening
• unnerving
• hair-raising
• redoubtable
• disconcerting
• direful
• discouraging
• daunting
• disquieting
• demoralizing
• perturbing
• distressing
• dismaying
• weird
• hideous
• nightmarish
• appalling
• grisly
• macabre
• awful
• monstrous
• horrid
• bone-chilling
• atrocious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• comforting
• soothing
• relaxing
• calming
• inviting
• consoling
• tranquilizing
• nonthreatening
• quieting
• lulling
• pacifying
• nonintimidating

frightening

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of frighten

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

• terrifying
• scaring
• startling
• shocking
• spooking
• horrifying
• alarming
• shaking
• terrorizing
• panicking
• frighting
• scarifying
• amazing
• worrying
• appalling
• distracting
• affrighting
• disturbing
• jolting
• unsettling
• dismaying
• upsetting
• astounding
• giving one the creeps
• daunting
• making one's flesh creep
• unnerving
• distressing
• disconcerting
• disquieting
• shaking up
• dispiriting
• discomforting
• awing
• bowling over
• emasculating
• perturbing
• chilling
• demoralizing
• undoing
• psyching (out)
• flooring
• unmanning
• discomposing
• unstringing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• comforting
• assuring
• soothing
• cheering
• consoling
• encouraging
• inspiring
• solacing
• emboldening
• heartening
• steeling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of frighten

Verb

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

Adjective

The vocals at this Honda Stage at the iHeartRadio Theater performance are nothing to write home about, but this live rendition is worth a watch if only for the looming, frightening, almost aggressive energy of her background singers. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit has proved to be a treacherous one, and that was highlighted in a frightening crash involving a pair of drivers early in the race. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Verb

Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026

But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026