Phrases to Describe Frighten:
General Fright:
* Terrified: Extreme fear
* Petrified: Paralyzed by fear
* Scared stiff: Completely frozen with fear
* Fearful: Feeling fear or apprehension
* Apprehensive: Anxious or uneasy about the future
* Nervous: Feeling agitated or uneasy
* Anxious: Feeling worried and uncertain
* Panicked: Feeling overwhelming fear and distress
* Trembling with fear: Shaking uncontrollably due to fear
* Frozen in fear: Unable to move due to fear
Specific Actions:
* Scared out of one's wits: Extremely frightened and confused
* Send shivers down one's spine: Make someone feel very frightened
* Make one's blood run cold: Terrify someone completely
* Turn one's hair on end: Cause someone to feel intense fear
* Give one the creeps: Make someone feel uncomfortable and frightened
* Put the fear of God into someone: Terrify someone severely
* Jump out of one's skin: React with sudden and extreme fear
Figurative Language:
* Fear gripped her heart: A metaphor for intense fear
* She was paralyzed by fear: A metaphor for being unable to act due to fear
* The room was filled with a palpable sense of dread: A metaphor for a heavy atmosphere of fear
More Specific Terms:
* Horrified: Feeling great shock and disgust
* Dismayed: Feeling disappointment and distress
* Distressed: Feeling great sorrow or anxiety
* Haunted: Feeling pursued by a frightening presence
* Oppressed: Feeling weighed down by fear and anxiety
Remember: The best phrase to use will depend on the specific context and the intensity of the fear you want to convey.