frighten
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to make someone feel afraid or nervous.
to cause a person or animal to feel fear, alarm, or anxiety. Transitive — requires a direct object.
Simple“The sudden thunder frightened the dog, and it hid under the sofa.”
In context“The sudden drop in stock prices frightened many small investors, leading to a wave of panic selling across the market.”
PitfallThe loud noise was frightening for me. The loud noise frightened me.While 'frightening' is an adjective, the verb 'frighten' usually takes the person as a direct object without 'for'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to become afraid or scared.
to become alarmed or afraid. Intransitive — used without a direct object, though less common than the transitive form.
Simple“He is the kind of person who does not frighten easily, even in danger.”
In context“Horses are prey animals that frighten easily when they encounter unfamiliar sights or sounds on the trail.”
Synonyms
From Middle English *frightenen, equivalent to fright + -en.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.