frighten
pronunciation
How to pronounce frighten in British English:
UK [ˈfraɪtn]
How to pronounce frighten in American English:
US [ˈfraɪtn]
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- Verb:
- cause fear in
- drive out by frightening
Word Origin
- frighten (v.)
- "strike with fear, terrify," 1660s, from fright (n.) + -en (1). Related: Frightened; frightening. The earlier verb was simply fright (v.).
Example
- 1. These two principles-don 't let robots hurt or frighten people-are relatively simple .
- 2. They were nudging investors , not trying to frighten them into reversing the recent currency declines .
- 3. Pros : most politicians try to ingratiate themselves with voters , but a radically different technique is to frighten them .
- 4. Their general approach is to exaggerate the uncertainties of climate science and to leave the impression that climate scientists are engaged in some kind of conspiracy to frighten the public .
- 5. Perhaps the north is simply attempting to frighten the west .