Forms: 1 fyrhtan (Northumb. fyrhta, fryhta), 3 friȝten, 5, 9 Sc. fricht, 6 frite, 6 fright. Pa. pple. 9 dial. frit. [OE. *fryhtan (Northumb. fryhta), metathetic var. of fyrhtan, corresp. to OFris. fruchta, OS. forhtian (MDu. vruchten), OHG. forhten, furhten (MHG. vürhten, mod.Ger. fürchten), Goth. faurhtjan:OTeut. *furhtjan to fear, f. *furhto- (forhto-) afraid. (OE. had also forhtian = OS. forhtôn, of the same meaning but differing conjugation). The factitive sense to terrify is peculiar to Eng.]
† 1. intr. To be afraid, to fear. Obs.
c. 1000. Durham Rit. (Surtees), 102/21. Ðu doest ða fyrhta, facis eam tremere.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1861.
Oc michil he friȝtede for-ði | |
boðen symeon and leui. | |
Ibid., 3978. | |
Ðhoȝ ðe asse spac, friȝtede he noȝt. |
2. trans. To affect with fright; to scare, terrify. Now rare exc. poet. and Sc.; in ordinary language its place has been taken by frighten.
c. 900. trans. Bædas Hist., IV. iii. (1890), 268. Gif þunorrade eorðan and lyfte bræȝden and fyrhten.
1423. Jas. I., Kingis Q., clxii. I ne wist quhat to done, so was I fricht.
1580. Sidney, Ps. IX. xiii. With terrors greate, O Lord, doe thou them fright.
1628. Hobbes, Thucyd. (1822), 23. The likelihood of the war, wherewith the Corcyræans frighting you go about to draw you to injustice, is yet obscure, and not worthy to move you to a manifest and present hostility with the Corinthians.
1700. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 9. Pray examine closely about those that fired upon the Indians, and frighted them.
1773. Goldsm., She Stoops to Conquer, I. i. If burning the footmens shoes, frighting the maids, and worrying the kittens, be humour, he has it.
1821. Clare, The Village Minstrel, and Other Poems, II. 196. Sonnets. xlviii. Summer Morning.
I love to peep out on a summers morn, | |
Just as the scouting rabbit seeks her shed, | |
And the coy hare squats nestling in the corn, | |
Frit at the bowd ear tottring oer her head. |
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxxii.
I wage not any feud with Death | |
For changes wrought on form and face; | |
No lower life that earths embrace | |
May breed with him, can fright my faith. |
1869. C. Gibbon, Robin Gray, I. iv. 57. Ye needna be frichted, mither, hes just got himsel hurt.
absol. 1748. Johnson, Vanity of Human Wishes, 148.
Should no false kindness lure to loose delight, | |
Nor praise relax, nor difficulty fright. |
b. With complement: To scare away, etc.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. v. 11. Heele fright you vp yfaith.
1637. B. Jonson, Sad Sheph., I. ii.
Except Loves fires the vertue have | |
To fright the frost out of the grave. |
a. 1643. Suckling, Acc. Relig., Ep. (1646), 1. I send you here (my Lord) that Discourse enlarged, which frighted the Lady into a cold sweat.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., IV. xlvi. 373. Would fright them from Obeying the Laws of their Countrey.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 120.
Of a Sword the flame | |
Wide waving, all approach farr off to fright, | |
And guard all passage to the Tree of Life. |
1678. Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. i. § 97. 468/1. Charles the fifth frighted Solyman the Turk from Vienna.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 167.
Besides the God obscene, who frights away, | |
With his Lath Sword, the Thieves and Birds of Prey. |
1697. Bp. Patrick, Comm. Exod. ix. 27. He acted now as a Man distracted and frighted out of his Wits; which made him rave and cry out for Help, in very passionate Words, without any serious Meaning.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr. (1709), IV. 558. The divine attributes of justice and power, whereby a Refractory People might be frighted into good Manners.
1719. Watts, There is a land of pure delight, vi.
Could we but climb where Moses stood, | |
And view the landscape oer; | |
Not Jordans stream, nor deaths cold flood, | |
Should fright us from the shore. |
177981. Johnson, L. P., Thomson, Wks. IV. 170. He accompanied the players by audible recitation, till a friendly hint frighted him to silence.
1821. Keats, Lamia, I. 3.
Before King Oberons bright diadem, | |
Sceptre, and mantle, claspd with dewy gem, | |
Frighted away the Dryads and the Fauns | |
From rushes green. |
Hence Frighting vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1631. Denison, Heav. Banq., 188. Here were frightings and terrors.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xxi. 188. How did I sometimes look upon Deaths frighting visage?
1650. W. Brough, Sacr. Princ. (1659), 16. If they trouble me lastly with their Triviall & Frighting argument to weak and tender Soules.
1663. J. Spencer, Prodigies (1665), 29. God hath now, in a great measure, left frighting of men to Heaven by visible terrors.
1674. J. B[rian], Harv. Home, iii. 19. Frighting fearfull terrors.