korkutmak

Korkutmak is a Turkish verb meaning to frighten, scare, or intimidate someone by inducing fear. It is the causative form built from the noun korku (fear) with the causative suffix -t- and the infinitive suffix -mak, so the basic sense is to cause fear in another person or animal. The degree of threat or intimidation it conveys depends on context, tone, and accompanying actions or words.

As a transitive verb, korkutmak requires a direct object. Examples in everyday usage include Çocuğu korkuttum (I frightened the child) and O, oyunlarda arkadaşlarını korkutur (He scares his friends during games). The term can also appear in phrases describing deliberate intimidation or coercion, such as korkutmak amacıyla tehditler savurmak (to utter threats in order to intimidate). The nuance ranges from a harmless scare to more coercive behavior, depending on intention and situation.

Grammatical notes: korkutmak follows standard Turkish verb conjugation as a regular -mak verb. Common forms include korkutuyorum (I am scaring), korkuttum (I scared), and korkutacağım (I will scare). The related adjective korkutucu means frightening or intimidating, and the noun korku denotes fear.

See also: korku, korkmak, korkutucu.