frightened; frightening
ˈfrī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈfrīt-niŋ
1
: to make afraid : terrify
The movie scene frightened the child.
2
: to drive or force by frightening
frightened the boy into confessing
: to become frightened
She doesn't frighten easily.
Synonyms
Examples of frighten in a Sentence
The story really frightened me.
The child was badly frightened by the mask.
Recent Examples on the Web
The president’s campaign has embarked on a cynical effort to frighten black voters, who are disillusioned with the Biden administration and unenthused by his candidacy, into reengaging with the political process.
—
The Editors, National Review, 22 May 2024
They’ve been observed carrying venomous Portuguese man o’ war tentacles when hunting and use scare tactics to frighten and trick prey.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten 
The Editors, National Review, 22 May 2024
They’ve been observed carrying venomous Portuguese man o’ war tentacles when hunting and use scare tactics to frighten and trick prey.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for frighten
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near frighten
Cite this Entry
“Frighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frighten. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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