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asustar

to frighten

verb ah-soos-TAHR Rare
Mind & Emotions Emotions

Also means

to startle

Usage Note

Asustar means to cause fear or a sudden fright; the reflexive asustarse means 'to become frightened' or 'to get scared.' It differs from temer (to fear habitually) in that asustar implies an acute reaction. The past participle asustado functions as an adjective: estaba muy asustado ('he was very scared').

Examples

"El perro asustó al niño con sus ladridos."

Natural Translation

The dog frightened the child with its barking.

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