affrightenv.
/əˈfrʌɪtn/, U.S. /əˈfraɪtn/ Now rare (poetic and literary in later use).
transitive. = affright v. 1. Also occasionally intransitive.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > quality of inspiring fear > quality of terribleness > terrify [verb (transitive)]
afearOE
affrightOE
breec1000
offrightlOE
agastc1225
offearc1225
dreadc1250
agrisec1275
begallowc1320
ashunchc1325
adreadc1330
affrayc1330
fleya1400
grise1513
terrify1536
fray-bug1551
thunderbolta1586
fear-blast1593
gaster1593
hazen1593
terrorc1595
affrighten1615
ter-terrifya1618
flaite1642
pavefy1656
repall1687
hobgoblin1707
scarify1794
to scare the daylights out of1951
1615 T. Draxe Alarum to Last Iudgement ii. 14 And withall appall, affrighten and astonish them.
1630 J. Taylor Wks. ii. 169/1 The whilest her tongue doth thunder and affrighten.
1641 G. Langbaine Episcopall Inheritance 13 Touching the nature of these curses and imprecations, when lands are thus devoted unto God, much might be said to affrighten any one from attempting it.
1704 Observator 22 Dec. 1/1 The Calumnies, the Invictives..of Evil Men shall never affrighten me from performing that Duty I owe to my Dear Country.
1797 R. Southey Botany Bay Eclogues in Poems 101 Fit tales For garrulous beldames to affrighten babes!
1852 J. Fletcher Stud. Slavery iv. ii. 262 The standard of Islam still continued to affrighten the world.
1878 E. Burritt Chips from Many Blocks iii. 91 The winged dragon that overshadows and affrightens them can not stretch its sable wing across the ocean.
1914 A. B. Meek Red Eagle 48 The howl and the war-dance affrighten the night.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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