▪ I. † affright, afright, ppl. a. Obs.
Forms: 1 a-fyrhted, 1–2 a-fyrht, 3 ? affuruht ({smY}), 4 ? ofright, afriȝt, ? affriȝt, afryȝt, 5 affryht, afryht, afryght, 5–6 afright, 6 affright.
[pa. pple. of OE, *afyrhtan, not found in any other part, f. a- prefix 1 intensive + fyrht-an to frighten, terrify: see fright. There appears to have been also a derivative of-fyrhtan, offright, in 12th–13th c., the pple. of which of-fyrht was afterwards confounded with a-fyrht, whence prob. the early forms marked with ? above; but the eventual doubling of the f is after the analogy of forms like af-firm, af-fix, from L. ad. A later form is affrighted.]
Struck with sudden fear; terrified, frightened.
| a 1000 Andreas 1531 He afyrhted wearð. a 1000 O.E. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 4 Þa weardas wæron afyrhte. c 1160 Hatt. Gosp. ibid., Þa weardes wæren afyrhte. c 1230 Ancren Riwle 362 Þe ueond is affuruht and offered of swuche. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 158 Þe mayden Berenger scho was alle ofright. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1889 A-fryȝt he wax of hym sum del{revsc}so grym a was in gale. Ibid. 2199 Þat þan was sore afriȝt. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xx. 10 In his herte he was wondirly afryght. 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. v. 37 As one affright With hellish feends, or furies mad uprore. 1647 H. More Resolution 175 The weakned phansy sore affright With the grim shades of grisely Night. |
▪ II. affright, v. arch.
(əˈfraɪt)
[a late formation, on fright v., with a- prefix 11 (written af-); doubtless partly due to the pre-existing ppl. adj. affright; see prec.]
To frighten, to terrify. to affright from: to deter from. (Now only poetical for the prose frighten.)
| 1589 Nashe in Greene's Menaphon (Arb.) 13 So terrible was his stile..as would have affrighted our peaceable Poets, from intermedling hereafter, with that quarrelling kinde of verse. 1593 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. iv. 43 The Scar-Crow that affrights our children so. 1611 Heywood Gold. Age ii. i. 24 You afright me with your steele. 1675 T. Brooks Gold. Key Wks. 1867 V. 129 To affright people from vicious practices. 1722 De Foe Moll Fl. (1840) 102 Terrifying and affrighting me with threats. 1878 B. Taylor Pr. Deukalion iv. iv. 158 Never a wolf affrights them Here in the pasture's peace. |
▪ III. affright, n. arch.
(əˈfraɪt)
[f. the vb., on the analogy of the pre-existing fright vb. and n.]
1. actively, The action of frightening or causing terror; also concr. A cause or source of terror.
| 1611 B. Jonson Catiline (J.) I see the gods..would humble them, By sending such affrights. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts 195 Full of troubles and dangerous affrights. 1697 Dryden æneid (J.) The war at hand appears with more affright. 1817 Coleridge Sybil. Leaves (1862) 231 A tale of less affright, And tempered with delight. |
2. passively, The state of sudden and great fear; terror, fright.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. iii. 19 Then dead through great affright They both nigh were. 1665 Pepys Diary (1879) III. 110 This puts me into a most mighty affright. 1789 Belsham Ess. II. xl. 511 Mr. Burke, in his affright, forgets what in his calmer moments he readily concedes. 1847 Barham Ingold. Leg. (1877) 311 Thy bosom pants in wild affright. |