frighten

verb

FRY-tuhn/ˈfɹaɪ.tən/

Formsfrightens, frightening, frightened

2 meanings of frighten

1
verbtransitive
To make a person or animal feel afraid or scared.
Like jumping out and shouting "Boo!" to make someone gasp.
Loud thunder can frighten young children at night.
The big dog frightened the little boy on the path.
Similarscare, alarm, terrify, startle, spook
Oppositereassure, calm, soothe
2
verbintransitive
To start to feel afraid or scared.
Like getting startled when someone sneaks up behind you.
Some dogs frighten easily during loud storms.
The baby frightened when the balloon popped.
Similarscare, spook

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Origin

From Middle English, made from the word "fright" plus "-en".