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.
Republicans are frightened, too. Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 Farima was withdrawn and frightened. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 This version of Frankenstein’s monster enters the world as a frightened newborn babe, scared and curious and desperate for human affection. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025 The frightened animals seek cover and leave the jays to eat their fill in peace. Joan Morris, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on frightened

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!