Frightened

B1 8+

Pronunciation: /ˈfraɪtnd/

Definitions of frightened

verb past tense of the verb 'frighten', which means to make someone afraid or anxious

Example Sentences

A1 I am frightened of spiders.

A2 She was frightened by the loud noise.

B1 The children were frightened of the dark forest.

B2 He was frightened to speak in front of a large audience.

C1 The politician was frightened of losing the election.

C2 The astronaut was frightened by the unknown sounds in space.

adjective feeling fear or anxiety

Example Sentences

A1 She was frightened by the loud noise.

A2 The little girl was frightened of the dark.

B1 He felt frightened when he heard footsteps behind him.

B2 The hiker became frightened when he realized he was lost in the woods.

C1 Despite his years of experience, the detective couldn't help but feel a little frightened as he entered the abandoned house.

C2 The politician was secretly frightened of losing the upcoming election.

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

formal The frightened child clung to her mother during the thunderstorm.

informal I was so frightened when I heard a noise in the middle of the night.

slang She was totally spooked and frightened by the horror movie.

figurative The thought of public speaking always leaves me feeling frightened.

Grammatical Forms of frightened

past tense

frightened

plural

frightened

comparative

more frightened

superlative

most frightened

present tense

frighten

future tense

will frighten

perfect tense

have frightened

continuous tense

is frightening

singular

frightened

positive degree

frightened

infinitive

to frighten

gerund

frightening

participle

frightening

Origin and Evolution of frightened

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'frightened' originated from the Middle English word 'frightenen' which came from the Old English word 'afyrhtan' meaning to terrify or cause fear.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'frightened' has retained its meaning of being afraid or scared, but its usage has become more common and widespread in modern English.