Synonyms for frighten
Definitions
- v. 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.
Related words
- Word family
- frightening fright
- Phrases
- frighten the horses
- Is a kind of
- affect inflict upset
Forms
- Past participle
- frightened
e.g. frightened → scared, terrified, startled, horrified…
Choose the right word
The sudden rush of an armed madman may frighten; the quiet leveling of a highwayman's pistol intimidates.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- scare Don't worry, we're just going to give him a scare.
- terrify The story used to really terrify Michael as a kid.
- startle Ziri doesn't want to startle that spider.
- horrify The announcement was intended to horrify the audience.
By length
- 3 letters
- cow1, awe1
- 5 letters
- shock1, alarm2, scare1, spook1, daunt1, appal
- 6 letters
- dismay2, fright1, appall2
- 7 letters
- terrify3, startle2, horrify3, mortify3, petrify3
- 8 letters
- affright
- 9 letters
- terrorize3, terrorise
- 10 letters
- intimidate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (alarm2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- effrayer
- Italiano
- sgomentare
- Català
- astorar