Meaning & Definition of word "Frighten"
to
Frighten
/ˈfraɪtən/
verb:
- 1. To make someone feel scared or afraid.
- Example: The loud thunderstorm frightened the children.
- 2. To cause a feeling of fear in someone.
- Example: The horror movie was designed to frighten its audience.
- 3. To scare someone to a specific degree.
- Example: She didn't mean to frighten him with her sudden appearance.
Etymology
Middle English frighten, from fright + -en
Common Phrases and Expressions
frighten away:
to scare off or deter someone or something
frighten the daylights out of:
to scare someone very much
frighten off:
to make someone or something go away out of fear
Related Words
fright:
a sudden feeling of fear
frightening:
causing fear
frightened:
feeling fear
Slang Meanings of frighten
Meaning: spook
Example Sentence: That haunted house really spooked me.
Meaning: be spooked
Example Sentence: She got spooked by the shadow in the corner.