frightened

frightened

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Pronunciation

IPA Phonetic Spelling: /ˈfraɪtnd/

• fright-: /fraɪt/

• /f/ - voiceless labiodental fricative

• /r/ - voiced alveolar approximant

• /aɪ/ - diphthong (as in "eye")

• /t/ - voiceless alveolar stop

• -ened: /nd/ (the vowel is often reduced or elided in rapid speech, making it a syllabic /n/ followed by /d/)

• /n/ - voiced alveolar nasal

• /d/ - voiced alveolar stop

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Word Form Variations

• Verb:

• Infinitive: frighten

• Present Tense (singular): frightens

• Present Tense (plural): frighten

• Present Participle: frightening

• Past Tense: frightened

• Past Participle: frightened

• Adjective: frightened (This is the past participle used as an adjective)

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Verb

• Frighten

1. To cause someone to experience sudden and intense fear or alarm.

• Synonyms: scare, startle, terrify, alarm, intimidate

• Antonyms: calm, reassure, comfort, soothe, encourage

Adjective

• Frightened

1. Feeling or showing sudden and intense fear or alarm.

• Synonyms: scared, terrified, alarmed, startled, afraid, petrified

• Antonyms: calm, brave, confident, fearless, unconcerned

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Examples of Use

• Books: "I was so frightened by the storm that I hid under my bed until morning." (From a personal narrative in a collection of short stories)

• Newspapers: "Residents in the quiet suburban neighborhood were frightened by a series of recent burglaries, prompting increased police patrols." (Local Gazette, June 2024)

• Online Publications: "Despite the critical acclaim, some viewers were genuinely frightened by the jump scares and psychological tension in the new horror film." (ScreenRant, May 2024)

• Film: (Dialogue from a suspense film) "You look frightened. What did you see out there?"

• Television Series: "She tried to appear brave, but her trembling hands showed just how frightened she truly was." (A drama series episode, April 2024)

• Song Lyrics: "No matter how frightened I get, I know the sun will rise again." (From a contemporary folk song)

• General Public Discourse: "When the car skidded on the ice, I was really frightened for a second."

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10 Quotes Using Frightened

1. "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." – Mary Shelley, often misattributed as "I am not frightened of storms..." however, a more common and confirmed quote is: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." A verified quote using the word is: "I have been frightened by the results of my own work." (Mary Shelley, Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, 1818)

2. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." – Franklin D. Roosevelt, but a quote using the word is: "The American people are not easily frightened." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, press conference, November 1941)

3. "He who is not frightened of the truth is a brave man." (Leo Tolstoy)

4. "Don't be frightened by the dark. It's only a place for shadows to dance." (Unknown)

5. "I was not frightened of defeat, I was frightened of not trying." (Arnold Palmer)

6. "We are always more frightened than hurt." (Irish Proverb)

7. "She was not frightened of the vastness of the sea, but rather the smallness of her own courage." (Original quote)

8. "Even the bravest are sometimes frightened." (Original quote)

9. "You were not frightened then, but I am now." (From the film The Shawshank Redemption, 1994)

10. "The truth is, everyone is a little bit frightened of something." (Original quote)

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Etymology

The word "frightened" has roots that go way back to Old English. It ultimately comes from the Old English word "fyrhtu," which meant "fear," "dread," "trembling," or even a "horrible sight."

Originally, the simple verb form was "fright," which also existed in Old English. This verb meant to "strike with fear" or "terrify."

The form "frightened" as an adjective, meaning "feeling fear" or "made to feel afraid," first appeared in the early 1700s, with the Oxford English Dictionary finding its earliest evidence from before 1721. The verb "frighten" itself, which "frightened" comes from, became commonly used around the 1660s. It was created by adding the "-en" suffix (which often forms verbs meaning "to cause to be") to the earlier word "fright."

So, in simple terms, the idea of being "frightened" has always been about experiencing or being caused to experience fear, and the word has evolved over centuries from its Old English origins to the form we use today.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Frightened

• Frightened to death: Extremely scared.

• Frightened out of one's wits: So scared that one loses their sense of reason or composure.

• To be easily frightened: To be prone to fear or nervousness.

• To look frightened: To have an appearance that clearly shows fear.

• Too frightened to move: Paralyzed by fear.

• Frightened of one's own shadow: Extremely timid or jumpy.

• Scared stiff: Frozen with fear.

• Jumpy and frightened: Nervous and easily startled.

• Frightened of what might happen: Apprehensive about future events.

• A frightened glance: A quick look showing apprehension.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of frightened from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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