Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “affright” come from?

Affright comes from Middle English afrighten, derived from Old English āfyrhtan, meaning to frighten or terrify.

affright (English): Great fear, terror, fright; To terrify, to...

Definitions

  1. Great fear, terror, fright; To terrify, to...

Ancestry of “affright”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishafrighten—
2Old Englishāfyrhtanto terrify; make afraid; to make afraid; terrify

Words derived from “affright”

  • affrightment
  • affrighteth
  • affrightest
  • affrighter
Every word from Old English āfyrhtan →