verb A2 Elementary Uncommon

frighten

FREYE-tuhn

Frighten (verb) means to make someone feel afraid or alarmed; to scare. Example: “The loud thunder frightened the dog.”

verb

To make someone feel afraid or alarmed; to scare.

"The loud thunder frightened the dog."

"Don't sneak up on me like that — you frightened me!"

To become afraid.

"She frightens easily at the sight of spiders."

How to use frighten

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo scare someone, or to become scared.

Common pairings

frighten someone easily frightened frighten away

frightened past tense, frightens singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The loud thunder _____ the dog.

From the older English word "fright" (fear) plus the verb-forming ending "-en", the same pattern seen in "sadden" or "harden".

alarm affright appall dismay fray grill harrow horrify make someone's blood run cold mortify petrify scare

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tighten lighten heighten brighten enlighten straighten

What does “frighten” mean?

The word “frighten” means to make someone feel afraid or alarmed; to scare. In plain terms, to scare someone, or to become scared.

How do you pronounce “frighten”?

“Frighten” is pronounced FREYE-tuhn (/ˈfɹaɪ.tən/ in IPA).

How do you use “frighten” in a sentence?

Here is “frighten” used in a sentence: “The loud thunder frightened the dog.”

What is another word for “frighten”?

Words with a similar meaning to “frighten” include alarm, affright, appall, dismay, fray and grill.

What part of speech is “frighten”?

“Frighten” is a verb.

Is “frighten” a common word?

“Frighten” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

How many meanings does “frighten” have?

“Frighten” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make someone feel afraid or alarmed; to scare.

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