Affrighted

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Feeling scared or terrified as a result of an unexpected shock or fright
2. Experiencing a sudden sense of alarm or fear typically caused by a startling event
3. Experiencing a quick onset of fear usually due to a surprising or alarming incident

Etymology: "Affrighted" is the older, more literary cousin of "frightened," and it has been around in English since Old English. Its ancestor, "āfyrhtan," meant "to terrify" or "make afraid," built from the prefix "a-" (a form of "on" or "up," intensifying the verb) and "fyrhtan," the verb tied to "fright." Over time, English speakers came to use the past participle "āfyrht," meaning "terrified," as an adjective in its own right, which is why the word now describes a state of being rather than an action done to someone. The form was reshaped in Middle English, when "afrighten" and the participle "afright" appeared, and eventually "affright" emerged as a verb while "affrighted" kept its place as the adjective. Today the word sounds archaic next to "frightened," which is why it tends to turn up in older writing, poetry, and fiction, where it carries a formal, heightened tone.

Synonyms: frightened, scared, alarmed, terrified, panic-stricken

Antonyms: calm, unafraid, reassured, fearless, composed