Affrighten is a word that is not commonly used in everyday language. However, it is still important to understand its meaning and origin. In this article, we will explore the definition and meaning of affrighten, its origin, the associations, synonyms, and antonyms of the word, and provide example sentences to help you understand its usage.
Definitions
Affrighten is a verb that means to frighten or terrify someone. It is a literary term that is not commonly used in everyday language. It is often used to describe a sudden and intense fear that is caused by a specific event or situation.
Origin
The word affrighten comes from the Middle English word afrighten, which means to frighten or terrify. It is derived from the Old English word afyrhtan, which means to frighten or scare. The word has been in use since the 14th century.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, affrighten means to frighten or terrify. Merriam-Webster defines it as to frighten or scare someone. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as to make someone feel very frightened.
Associations
Affrighten is often associated with horror stories, ghost stories, and other scary tales. It is also associated with sudden and intense fear that is caused by a specific event or situation.
Synonyms
Some synonyms of affrighten include frighten, scare, terrify, alarm, startle, and shock.
Antonyms
Some antonyms of affrighten include calm, soothe, reassure, comfort, and relax.
The same root words
The root word of affrighten is frighten. Other words that have the same root include frightening, frightened, and frightful.
Example Sentences
- The sudden loud noise affrightened the children.
- The horror movie affrightened me so much that I couldn’t sleep.
- The haunted house tour was designed to affrighten visitors.
- The dark alleyway affrightened her, so she walked quickly to her car.
- The sound of the howling wind affrightened the villagers, who believed it was a sign of impending doom.