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Frighten synonyms

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terrify
To fill with terror; make deeply afraid:
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  1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid:
  2. To drive or force by arousing fear:
  3. To fill with terror; frighten greatly; alarm
scare
To become frightened, esp. suddenly
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  1. To become frightened, esp. suddenly
  2. To fill with fear or terror; esp., to frighten suddenly or startle; terrify
  3. To strike with sudden fear; alarm.
shock
To come into contact violently, as in battle; collide.
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  1. To come into contact violently, as in battle; collide.
  2. To subject an animal or person to an electric shock.
  3. An instance of the passage of an electric current through the body. The amount of injury caused by electric shock depends on the type and strength of the current, the length of time the current is applied, and the route the current takes once it enters the body.
alarm
To warn of approaching danger
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  1. To warn of approaching danger
  2. To equip with or protect by an alarm:
  3. To fill with alarm or anxious concern.
daunt
To make discouraged; intimidate; dishearten
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  1. To make discouraged; intimidate; dishearten
  2. To lessen the courage or resolution of; dishearten or intimidate:
dismay
To make apprehensive or discouraged, as by a problem or troublesome prospect
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  1. To make apprehensive or discouraged, as by a problem or troublesome prospect
  2. To cause to lose enthusiasm or resolution; disillusion or discourage:
  3. To upset or distress:
cow
To make timid and submissive by filling with fear or awe; intimidate
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  1. To make timid and submissive by filling with fear or awe; intimidate
  2. To frighten or subdue with threats or a show of force.
  3. To intimidate; to daunt the spirits or courage of. Found primarily in the passive voice.
terrorize
To fill or overpower with terror; terrify.
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  1. To fill or overpower with terror; terrify.
  2. To coerce, make submit, etc. by filling with terror, as by the use or threat of violence
  3. To coerce or intimidate by causing fear.
startle
To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised.
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  1. To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised.
  2. To surprise, frighten, or alarm suddenly or unexpectedly; esp., to cause to start, or move involuntarily, as from sudden fright
  3. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly.
dishearten
To discourage someone by removing their enthusiasm or courage.
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  1. To discourage someone by removing their enthusiasm or courage.
  2. To deprive of courage or enthusiasm; discourage; depress; daunt
  3. To cause to lose hope or enthusiasm; dispirit.
abash
To make embarrassed and ill at ease; make self-conscious; disconcert
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  1. To make embarrassed and ill at ease; make self-conscious; disconcert
dispirit
To lower the spirits of; make sad, discouraged, or apathetic; depress; deject
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  1. To lower the spirits of; make sad, discouraged, or apathetic; depress; deject
  2. To cause to lose spirit or enthusiasm; dishearten.
intimidate
To force or deter with threats or violence
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  1. To force or deter with threats or violence
  2. To coerce or deter, as with threats:
  3. To make timid; fill with fear:
deter
To prevent or discourage (an action or behavior):
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  1. To prevent or discourage (an action or behavior):
  2. To prevent or discourage from acting, as by means of fear or doubt:
  3. To keep or discourage (a person, group, or nation) from doing something by instilling fear, anxiety, doubt, etc.
threaten
To indicate the likely occurrence of (something dangerous, unpleasant, etc.)
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  1. To indicate the likely occurrence of (something dangerous, unpleasant, etc.)
  2. To express a threat against or give indications of taking hostile action against:
  3. To cause (someone) to feel that his or her power, social standing, or self-esteem is in danger of being diminished:
badger
To annoy or harass persistently; pester; nag
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  1. To annoy or harass persistently; pester; nag
  2. To ask or nag (someone) about something in an annoying and persistent way; pester:
petrify
To paralyze or make numb, as with fear; stupefy; stun
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  1. To paralyze or make numb, as with fear; stupefy; stun
  2. To replace the normal cells of (organic matter) with silica or other mineral deposits; re-form as a stony substance
  3. To cause to lose vitality or become impervious to change; deaden:
panic
(Slang) To convulse (a listener, audience, etc.) with laughter, delight, etc.
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  1. (Slang) To convulse (a listener, audience, etc.) with laughter, delight, etc.
  2. To give way to or show panic
  3. To affect with panic
demoralize
To put into disorder; confuse.
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  1. To put into disorder; confuse.
  2. To throw into confusion
  3. To lower the morale of; weaken the spirit, courage, discipline, or staying power of
horrify
To cause to feel horror:
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  1. To cause to feel horror:
  2. To cause to feel extreme apprehension or unease; to cause to experience horror.
  3. To shock or disgust
appall
To fill with horror and amazement; dismay greatly:
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  1. To fill with horror and amazement; dismay greatly:
  2. To fill with horror or dismay; shock
awe
To fill with awe:
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  1. To fill with awe:
  2. To inspire awe in; fill with awe
perturb
To cause (a system) to become altered or imbalanced from a normal state:
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  1. To cause (a system) to become altered or imbalanced from a normal state:
  2. To cause to be alarmed, agitated, or upset; disturb or trouble greatly
  3. (--- Physics & Astronomy) To cause perturbation in (the orbit of a celestial body, for example) by gravitational interaction.
disturb
To trouble emotionally or mentally; upset:
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  1. To trouble emotionally or mentally; upset:
  2. To intrude on; inconvenience:
  3. To break up the quiet or serenity of; agitate (what is quiet or still)
disquiet
To make anxious, uneasy, or restless; disturb; fret
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  1. To make anxious, uneasy, or restless; disturb; fret
  2. To deprive of peace or rest; trouble.
faze
To disrupt the composure of; disconcert.
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  1. To disrupt the composure of; disconcert.
  2. To disturb; disconcert
discomfort
To make uncomfortable; distress.
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  1. To make uncomfortable; distress.
  2. To cause discomfort to; distress
unnerve
To make feel weak, nervous, etc.
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  1. To make feel weak, nervous, etc.
  2. To deprive of nerve, force, or strength; to weaken; to enfeeble.
  3. To cause to lose courage or firmness of purpose:
harrow
To cause mental distress to; torment
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  1. To cause mental distress to; torment
  2. To plunder or rob (Hell of redeemed souls). Used of Jesus after the Crucifixion.
  3. To take harrowing
unman
To deprive of men or personnel
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  1. To deprive of men or personnel
  2. To deprive of manly courage, nerve, self-confidence, etc.
  3. To take away characteristics traditionally associated with masculinity, such as courage or strength:
affright
(Archaic) To frighten; terrify
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  1. (Archaic) To frighten; terrify
  2. To arouse fear in; terrify:
spook
To become frightened and nervous.
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  1. To become frightened and nervous.
  2. To startle and cause nervous activity in; frighten:
  3. (Informal) To become frightened or startled
take-one-s-breath-away
To make a person feel emotionally moved in a pleasant way.
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  1. To make a person feel emotionally moved in a pleasant way.
scare-off
To deter
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  1. To deter
  2. To cause (something) to flee by frightening it.
intimidate
To coerce or deter, as with threats:
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  1. To coerce or deter, as with threats:
  2. To force or deter with threats or violence
  3. To make timid; fill with fear:
discourage
To become discouraged
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  1. To become discouraged
  2. To try to prevent by expressing disapproval or raising objections:
  3. To prevent or try to prevent by disapproving or raising objections or obstacles
repel
To cause aversion or distaste in:
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  1. To cause aversion or distaste in:
  2. To cause aversion or distaste:
  3. To cause (insects, etc.) to react by staying away
stave off
(Idiomatic) to prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert
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  1. (Idiomatic) to prevent something from happening; to obviate or avert
stampede
To move, or take part, in a stampede
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  1. To move, or take part, in a stampede
  2. To cause (a person or group) to act impulsively:
  3. To cause (a herd of animals) to flee in panic.
deter
To keep or discourage (a person, group, or nation) from doing something by instilling fear, anxiety, doubt, etc.
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  1. To keep or discourage (a person, group, or nation) from doing something by instilling fear, anxiety, doubt, etc.
  2. To prevent or discourage from acting, as by means of fear or doubt:
  3. To prevent or discourage (an action or behavior):
browbeat
To intimidate with harsh, stern looks and talk; bully
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  1. To intimidate with harsh, stern looks and talk; bully
  2. To intimidate or subjugate by an overbearing manner or domineering speech; bully.
  3. To bully in an intimidating, bossy, or supercilious way.
bulldoze
To proceed forcefully or insensitively:
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  1. To proceed forcefully or insensitively:
  2. To coerce, intimidate, or bully:
  3. To operate a bulldozer.
affright
(Archaic) To frighten; terrify
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  1. (Archaic) To frighten; terrify
  2. To arouse fear in; terrify:
alarm
To give warning to:
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  1. To give warning to:
  2. To equip with or protect by an alarm:
  3. To fill with alarm or anxious concern.
panic
To give way to or show panic
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  1. To give way to or show panic
  2. (Slang) To convulse (a listener, audience, etc.) with laughter, delight, etc.
  3. To affect with panic
scare
To become frightened, esp. suddenly
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  1. To become frightened, esp. suddenly
  2. To fill with fear or terror; esp., to frighten suddenly or startle; terrify
  3. To strike with sudden fear; alarm.
scarify
To scare.
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  1. To scare.
  2. To frighten
  3. To create a design on the skin by means of shallow cuts that are sometimes rubbed with a colorant or irritant to enhance the resulting scar tissue.
startle
To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised.
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  1. To become alarmed, frightened, or surprised.
  2. To surprise, frighten, or alarm suddenly or unexpectedly; esp., to cause to start, or move involuntarily, as from sudden fright
  3. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly.
terrify
To fill with terror; make deeply afraid:
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  1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid:
  2. To drive or force by arousing fear:
  3. To fill with terror; frighten greatly; alarm
terrorize
To fill or overpower with terror; terrify.
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  1. To fill or overpower with terror; terrify.
  2. To coerce, make submit, etc. by filling with terror, as by the use or threat of violence
  3. To coerce or intimidate by causing fear.
fright
(Archaic) To frighten; terrify
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  1. (Archaic) To frighten; terrify

Synonym Study

  • Terrorize implies deliberate intention to terrify by threat or intimidation the gangsters terrorized the city
  • To terrify is to cause to feel an overwhelming, often paralyzing fear terrified at the thought of war
  • Alarm suggests a sudden fear or apprehension at the realization of an approaching danger alarmed by his warning
  • Scare , often equivalent to frighten , often implies a fear that causes one to flee or to stop doing something I scared him from the room
  • Frighten is the broadest of these terms and implies, usually, a sudden, temporary feeling of fear frightened by a mouse but sometimes, a state of continued dread she's frightened when she's alone
Find another word for frighten. In this page you can discover 84 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for frighten, like: terrify, scare, shock, alarm, daunt, dismay, cow, terrorize, startle, dishearten and abash.

Sentence Examples

  • Maybe a little noise would frighten the animal away.

  • That's a thing to frighten me with!

  • Some cuckoos are singular for their habit of using the nests of smaller birds to lay their eggs in, so that the young may be reared by foster-parents; and it has been suggested that the object of the likeness exhibited to the hawk is to enable the cock cuckoo either to frighten the small birds away from their nests or to lure them in pursuit of him, while the hen bird quietly and without molestation disposes of her egg.

  • "Now, why frighten them?" said Pelageya Danilovna.

  • For a moment she lay still, afraid any movement would frighten him away like a wild cat in the daylight.

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Words that mention frighten in the Dictionary

Words near frighten in the Thesaurus