frighten Definition
- 1to make someone feel afraid or anxious
- 2to become afraid or anxious
Using frighten: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "frighten" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The loud noise frightened the baby.
Example
She was frightened by the horror movie.
Example
Don't try to frighten me with your threats.
Example
I don't want to frighten you, but there's a spider on your shoulder.
frighten Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with frighten
Example
The sudden noise frightened her to death.
Example
The ghost story frightened the life out of the children.
Example
The high price frightened potential buyers off.
Summary: frighten in Brief
The verb 'frighten' [ˈfraɪtn] means to cause fear or anxiety in someone or oneself. It can be used in contexts ranging from loud noises frightening babies to horror movies frightening viewers. The phrase 'frighten someone to death' and 'frighten the life out of someone' both mean to scare someone badly, while 'frighten someone off' means to make someone decide not to do something by making them afraid.