v., -ened, -en·ing, -ens. v.tr.
- To fill with fear; alarm.
- To drive or force by arousing fear: The suspect was frightened into confessing.
To become afraid.
frightener fright'en·er n.
frighteningly fright'en·ing·ly adv.
SYNONYMS frighten, scare, alarm, terrify, terrorize, startle, panic. These verbs mean to cause a person to experience fear. Frighten and the less formal scare are the most widely applicable: "The Count's mysterious warning frightened me at the time" (Bram Stoker). The angry dog scared the small child. Alarm implies the often sudden onset of apprehension: Her sudden weight loss alarmed her doctor. Terrify implies overwhelming, often paralyzing fear: "It is the coming of death that terrifies me" (Oscar Wilde). Terrorize implies intimidation and sometimes suggests deliberate coercion: "The decent citizen was terrorized into paying public blackmail" (Arthur Conan Doyle). Startle suggests a momentary shock that may cause a sudden, involuntary movement of the body: The clap of thunder startled us. Panic implies sudden frantic fear that often impairs self-control and rationality: The realistic radio drama panicked the listeners who tuned in after it had begun.
