frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
: feeling fear : made to feel afraid
a badly frightened child
The farmer was hurrying out into the road, and his wife was standing at the gate, looking very frightened.Anna Sewell

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

I am frightened of the dark
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her parents were opposed to the Russian occupation but too frightened to talk about it. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025 That included an incident in a press box at Yankee Stadium in 2013, when a frightened and fractured Kay had to be brought back to a team hotel, or an incident at the offices at Angel Stadium on Easter Day in 2019 when a sweating and erratic Kay was taken home and then hospitalized. Sean Emery, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025 For communities who are targeted and already frightened, taking the time to differentiate between the National Guard and a federal law enforcement agency is secondary to staying safe. Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025 Sitting with the frightened pup, Hawkins tried to offer water from a bottle cap, but the animal wasn’t interested. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frightened

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of frighten

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightened was in 1591

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightened. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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