frighten
verb/ˈfɹaɪ.tən/ · [ˈfɹ̥aɪtn̩]
Etymology From Middle English *frightenen, equivalent to fright + -en.
1
To cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel alarm or fright.
- Avery puts a sheet over her head, pretending to be a ghost to frighten Emily.
- His Deſign was only to frighten France, and get more Money.1746, Isaac Kimber, “Henry VII”, in The History of England, from the Earliest Accounts to the Accession of His Present Majesty King George II. […] , page 217:
2 more examples
- You may frighten a pig, a goose, a frog, and even a fly, but you cannot frighten or surprise a sloth.1883, Felix Leopold Oswald, “A Step-child of Nature”, in Zoological Sketches[:] A Contribution to the Out-door Study of Natural History, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co., page 90:
- And he commanded his soldiers […] to frighten them with fierce swords, but the hearts of the holy men did not quail, and they were unable to alter their words.1928, E. A. Wallis Budge, transl., The Book of the Saints of the Ethiopian Church[:] A translation of the Ethiopic Synaxarium […] , volume 1, London: Cambridge University Press, page 220:
2
To become scared or alarmed.
- In fitting the White Leghorns for exhibition, it must be remembered that they are of nervous disposition and frighten easily.1898, Franklane L. Sewell, Ida E. Tilson, “White Leghorns”, in The Poultry Herald Manual[:] A Guide to Successful Poultry Keeping, St. Paul, Minnesota: Webb Publishing Company, page 41:
- Those male moose at the southeast arm didn't frighten very much when we docked to fly-fish one day. One was so scared of us he just walked toward us and snorted.1959, Harold G. (Hack) Miller, “Rod and gun”, in Hearings […] , Washington: United States Government Printing Office, page 101:
1 more example
- Be sneaky. Fish frighten easily.1995 April 23, Jeff Csatari, “Tackle Tips”, in Boys' Life, volume 85, number 4, Irving, Texas: Boy Scouts of America, Inc., →ISSN, page 42:
- Synonyms
- alarm, affright, appall, dismay, fray, frighten, grill, give someone the shits, harrow, horrify, make someone's blood run cold, mortify, petrify, scare, scare straight, scare the bejeebers out of, scare the hell out of, scare the pants off of, scare the shit out of, terrorize, terrify, spook
- Derived terms
- do someone a frighten, frightenable, frightener, frightening, frightensome, frighten the horses, frighten the life out of someone, frighten the piss out of, overfrighten, unfrighten
- Hyponyms
- daunt, intimidate