affright Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
    terror; panic.
  2. verb cause fear in
    frighten; scare; fright.
    • The stranger who hangs around the building frightens me
    • Ghosts could never affright her

WordNet

Af*fright" transitive verb
Etymology
Orig. p. p.; OE. afright, AS. afyrhtan to terrify; a- (cf. Goth. us-, Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + fyrhto fright. See Fright.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Affrighted; present participle & verbal noun Affrighting
Definitions
  1. To impress with sudden fear; to frighten; to alarm.
    Dreams affright our souls. Shak.
    A drear and dying sound Affrights the flamens at their service quaint. Milton.
    Syn. -- To terrify; frighten; alarm; dismay; appall; scare; startle; daunt; intimidate.
Af*fright" participial adjective
Definitions
  1. Affrighted. Obs. Chaucer.
Af*fright" noun
Definitions
  1. Sudden and great fear; terror. It expresses a stronger impression than fear, or apprehension, perhaps less than terror.
    He looks behind him with affright, and forward with despair. Goldsmith.
  2. The act of frightening; also, a cause of terror; an object of dread. B. Jonson.

Webster 1913