Frighten
/ˈfraɪ.tən/noun
To cause someone to feel fear or alarm.
Did you know?Frighten comes from the same deep Germanic root as English fright and may ultimately trace back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to tremble,” showing how languages turn raw bodily panic into power words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*preyk-
“To tremble, be afraid, or shake with fear.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*frītaną
“To frighten or terrify.”
Old English
OE
fyrhtan
“To terrify, alarm, or make afraid.”
Middle English
ME
frighten
“To scare, alarm, or put into fear.”
Modern English
English
frighten
“To cause fear or alarm in someone.”