frighten

frighten (someone or an animal) into doing something

to threaten someone or an animal into doing something. You can't frighten me into leaving! Let's try to frighten the coyotes into running away.

See also: doing

frighten (someone or an animal) to death and scare someone or an animal to death

1. Lit. to frighten a living creature badly enough to cause death. The roar of the plane engine seems to have frightened the little dog to death.

2. Fig. to frighten someone severely. The dentist always frightens me to death. She scared me to death when she screamed.

See also: death

frighten someone or something away and frighten someone or something off

to scare someone or something off. The noise frightened the burglar away. Something frightened away the prowlers. The high prices frightened the shoppers off.

See also: away

frighten someone (or an animal) into something and frighten someone or an animal in 

1. to scare someone or an animal into entering something or some place. The trouble in the neighborhood frightened most of the residents into their houses. The mouse was out of its hole, but we came in and frightened the little mouse back in.

2. to scare someone or an animal into a particular state. They frightened me into a quivering mass. The mouse was frightened into a state of confusion.

frighten one out of one's wits and scare one out of one's wits; frighten someone out of a year's growth; scare someone out of a year's growth; frighten one out of one's mind; scare one out of one's mind

Fig. to frighten one very badly. Oh! That loud noise scared me out of my wits. I'll give him a good scolding and frighten him out of his wits. Oh, you frightened me out of a year's growth! You frightened Bob out of his mind.

See also: one, out, wit

frighten the hell out of someone and frighten the pants off someone; frighten the living daylights out of someone; scare the living daylights out of someone; scare the shit out of someone; scare the wits out of someone

to frighten someone badly, suddenly or both. (Use of hell and shit are crude.) These figures frighten the hell out of me. The door blew shut and scared the shit out of me. It takes a lot to scare the pants off a hardened criminal.

See also: hell, out

frightened to death and scared to death 

1. Lit. frightened to the point of dying. This poor animal has been frightened to death by the attacking dogs.

2. Fig. frightened or anxious. I don't want to go to the dentist today. I'm frightened to death. I'm frightened to death of spiders.

See also: death

You scared the hell out of me. and You scared the crap out of me.; You scared the dickens out of me.; You scared the devil out of me.; You scared me out of my wits.; You scared the pants off (of) me.

You frightened me very badly. (Also with subjects other than second person. Of is usually retained before pronouns.) He scared the hell out of all of us. She really scared the pants off of me.

See also: hell, out, scare

---

frighten/scare somebody out of their wits

to make someone very frightened Don't shout like that - you scared me out of my wits!

See also: out, wit

frighten/scare somebody to death

to make someone feel very frightened David suddenly appeared in the doorway and scared me to death.

See also: death

frighten/scare the (living) daylights out of somebody

to frighten someone very much Don't come up behind me like that. You scared the living daylights out of me!

See also: daylight, out

frighten/scare the hell out of somebody   (informal)

to make someone feel very frightened He drives like a madman - frightens the hell out of me.

See also: hell, out

frighten/scare the life out of somebody

to make someone feel very frightened She frightened the life out of me, shouting like that.

See also: life, out

---

frighten somebody out of their wits also scare somebody out of their wits

to cause extreme fear in someone Don't sneak up behind me like that – you frightened me out of my wits!

See also: out, wit