Where does “frightful” come from?
Frightful derives from Old English forhtful, formed from forht meaning afraid or timid.
frightful (English): Full of fright, "whether"; Full of something...
Definitions
- Full of fright, "whether"; Full of something...
Ancestry of “frightful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | frightful | afraid, frightened |
| 2 | Old English | forhtful | fainthearted, timorous |
Words derived from “frightful”