Skip to main content
to fright

to fright

2 3.2
To make someone feel afraid
  • verb
  • /fraɪt/
translation icon : asustar
  • The loud thunderclap might fright small children during the storm.

The sound that we hear though, it's something that frightens people or it is awkward.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The name of Mortimer shall fright the king.

  • l can not fright these people.

  • This is to make an ass of me; to fright me, if they could.

  • So we try to challenge and frighten ourselves.

  • And then and then you frighten yourself with that, that thought.

  • In any case, the idea then was to frighten people in order to reform their habits.

  • Well, to fright them hence with the dread penalty.

  • There are more things, Leukilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us.

  • He is trying to frighten us thinking that if the Republicans win, our rights will be taken away.

  • I, I don't want to frighten you, but yes, so there's a possibility.

Synonyms

to scare
vsto fright
1.0

To make someone feel afraid or unsure of themselves

is slightly more formal and general than that everyday term
to frighten
vsto fright
540 1.0

To make someone feel afraid

is the alternate common form with identical basic meaning
to intimidate
vsto fright
294 4.9

To frighten someone so they do what you want

is the neutral act of causing fear without intent to control
to terrify
vsto fright
148 3.2

To make someone feel very frightened

means causing fear but at a milder, ordinary intensity
to terrorize
vsto fright
  • NSFW
145 6.7

To frighten someone very much by using threats or violence

means causing fear in a single act rather than ongoing oppression
to spook
vsto fright
97 4.8

To suddenly frighten a person or animal so they panic

describes causing fear more generally, not necessarily sudden or panicked
to horrify
vsto fright
90 4.3

Make someone feel very shocked, afraid, or disgusted

focuses on causing fear without the added shock or disgust
to scare someone to death
vsto fright
  • Informal
59 3.7

To frighten someone very much

describes causing fear in a normal, nonextreme degree
to scare the hell out of
vsto fright
  • Informal
56 6.7

To make someone very afraid

is the neutral way to express causing fear without extra emphasis
to scare the bejesus out of
vsto fright
  • Informal
5 8.8

To make someone very afraid

is the calmer, standard expression for causing fear
to scare the bejesus
vsto fright
  • Informal
5 9.0

To frighten someone very much by a sudden event or loud noise

is the standard term without the coarse or blunt tone
to put the fear of God into
vsto fright
  • Informal
3 8.2

Make people very afraid and make them respect you by showing power

is about causing fear without implying authority or warning
3 6.9

To frighten someone very much

is used for causing fear in ordinary, less extreme cases
to scare the life out of
vsto fright
  • Informal
3 5.6

To make someone very afraid

is the general expression for causing fear rather than severe shock
to do someone a frighten
vsto fright
  • Irish
9.9

To suddenly scare someone and make them jump

is the straightforward term for causing fear without humor
to affright
vsto fright
  • Archaic
9.9

To cause sudden fear in someone

is the modern common expression for causing fear

Antonyms

172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

163 3.4

To make someone feel less worried and more confident

Compounds

22 3.9

Nervousness before you perform or speak in front of people

A feeling of nervousness before reading aloud or speaking in public

How Scary

to petrify
7 4.8
to terrify
148 3.2
to fright
2 3.2
to alarm
133 1.9
to startle
131 3.7

Surface Forms

fright infinitive
frightened past
frightened past participle
frightening present participle
frights third person singular

Etymology

Fright as a verb comes from the same old root meaning 'fear' and is like the related verb frighten, so to fright someone is to make them feel sudden fear.