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
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The possibility is frightening.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Verb
Grete is frightened of her brother, of course.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Israel knows women and babies were tortured, burned and posed in inhuman ways for one reason — to frighten.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
While the near-miss was frightening, what stood out most was Alejandro’s unexpected response.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The possibility is frightening.
—Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for frighten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frighten
Adjective
-
What was John thinking before the surface of the water appeared before his windshield, rushing forward at terrifying speed?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
-
As The Boys presents a terrifying dystopia under Homelander (Antony Starr) in the fifth and final season, Eric Kripke recently noted that any narrative similarities to our current dystopia are purely coincidental.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The conditions in Domiz are not scary as a sign of what the future might be like for everyone.—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
While weaponizing hate has been around almost as long as humanity itself, this new version is particularly scary because the checks and balances that were put into place in previous generations have been removed.—
Steven Burg,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This double-digit growth positions the $98-per-year service as a formidable challenger to Amazon Prime, leaning heavily on delivery speed and new streaming partnerships.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Its missile force is formidable.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zack James’ shifty drumming hammers out a drum ’n’ bass redux like a panicked heartbeat while Carney Hemler’s bass lurches in slow motion, replicating the gut drop of a horrible realization.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Here are five novels that have been tied to terrible crimes.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By addressing each of these messes individually, refreshing your home should become much less intimidating, Davis says.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The stadium was bigger, louder and more intimidating.—
Zoe Bahjat,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frighten. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
