FRIGHTENS Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

frightens

verb

present tense third-person singular of frighten

as in terrifies

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

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Recent Examples of frightens And for members who have a long history, who are used to running on that long history, that frightens them. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Diego Gomez is a stop-gap alternative, but Mitoma remains a key figure who frightens opposing defences with his dribbling speed and influential record in the top flight. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The thing that frightens me isn’t that machines will replace people. — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 28 June 2026 What frightens scientists more than the sheer numbers are that the cuts are arbitrary and manifestly pernicious. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 But the future Hall of Famer is coming off ACL surgery, might lack mobility, and has a receiving corps that frightens nobody. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 May 2026 The piercing sunlight frightens her. — Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026 Like the 1987 Kurt Vonnegut novel from which the restaurant took its name, Bluebeard encourages guests to drop their guard, surround themselves with other people and try something that frightens them a little. — Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026 Her hysteria frightens me and demands to be taken care of. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightens

Verb

What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
That prospect terrifies Hamid, the relief worker who survived the drone strike.

— Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

Missile warning startles Dubai Earlier on Friday, a missile warning in the United Arab Emirates caused by a technical glitch underscored the ongoing tensions in the region, following the attack on the cargo vessel and Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past few days.

— Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
The combination of flashing light and movement startles them.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 June 2026

Definition of startles

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frightening

frightens

frightful

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Style

“Frightens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightens. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of frightens

verb

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