affright

1 of 2

verb

af·​fright ə-ˈfrīt How to pronounce affright (audio)
affrighted; affrighting; affrights

affright

2 of 2

noun

archaic
: sudden and great fear : terror

Examples of affright in a Sentence

Verb a ghastly sight that would affright any person

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English afrighten, probably derivative of afright, afyrht (12th century) "frightened," going back to Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan "to frighten," from ā-, perfective prefix + fyrhtan "to frighten" — more at abide, fright entry 2

Noun

derivative of affright entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affright was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near affright

Cite this Entry

“Affright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affright. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

affright

verb
af·​fright
ə-ˈfrīt
archaic
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!