Frighten Off (Verb)
Meaning
Cause to lose courage; "dashed by the refusal".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- The harsh rejection was enough to frighten them off and they never bothered applying again.
- A year of constant defeat was enough to frighten off all but the most dedicated of players.
- Her unpleasant demeanor was likely to frighten off potential customers from walking into her store.
- The competitor's aggressive marketing strategy frightened off several local businesses from the area.
- His first attempt at starting a business had been dashed by the refusal of investors, which frightened off his friends from investing in his new venture.