Frighten Someone Into Doing vs. Frighten Someone To Do
Oxford directly documents frighten + object + into + -ing for making somebody do something by making them afraid. Frighten can also occur simply with an object or in other phrasal patterns, so the into + -ing construction is specifically for the action produced by fear.
Use “frighten someone into doing something” for the directly documented complement; do not promote “frighten someone to do” to equal status without separate construction evidence.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| fear causes someone to perform an action | frighten someone into + -ing | Use the documented “frighten someone into doing” construction. |
| frighten takes only an object or a different complement | use the construction documented for that meaning | Do not promote “frighten someone to do” as an equal direct complement without evidence. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Does fear cause the person to take the following action?
If yes: Use “frighten someone into” plus the -ing form.
If no: Use another documented “frighten” construction if the action-caused-by-fear meaning is not intended.
Caveat: Oxford directly documents object + into + -ing for causing action through fear; this page does not infer an unsupported parallel “to do” complement.
Examples
The warning frightened him into leaving early.
Fear caused the action expressed by the -ing clause.
The noise frightened the children into running inside.
The construction links fear to the resulting action.
The threat frightened her into changing the password.
The action is presented as a result of fear.
Further guidance
Boundary
Frighten can also occur simply with an object or in other phrasal patterns, so the into + -ing construction is specifically for the action produced by fear.
Construction
Oxford directly documents frighten + object + into + -ing for making somebody do something by making them afraid.
Decision
Use “frighten someone into doing something” for the directly documented complement; do not promote “frighten someone to do” to equal status without separate construction evidence.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- frighten into doing — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Frighten + object + into + -ing construction