scared

adjective

ˈskerd 

: thrown into or being in a state of fear, fright, or panic

scared of snakes

scared to go out

Synonyms of scared

• afraid
• frightened
• terrified
• horrified
• shocked
• fearful

Examples of scared in a Sentence

I am really scared about speaking in front of the class.

He was scared that his mother wouldn't let him go to the movies with his friends.

She's scared to walk alone at night.

Recent Examples on the Web

In an interview with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep, Khanna discusses why Democrats should nominate a progressive candidate and shouldn't be scared of being labeled a communist. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 Aug. 2026

Few contemporary A-list actors give better scared face than her, and as with her psychologically fraught pop star in Mother Mary, there’s a physicality to her action-mom turn here that’s thrilling to watch. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Employees scared about retaliation could report anonymously to DCS, the company said. — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

Lastly, to dull the war-mongering vigor of the Rivermen, Ormund installs small, scared little boys, ripped from their homes, all along the chemin de ronde — a baby human shield for Ser Daeron the Daring’s great army. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing scared

• get scared
• scared/frightened the dickens
• scared stiff
• scared to death

Rhymes for scared

• compared
• declared
• despaired
• ensnared
• impaired
• prepared
• repaired
• unpaired
• unshared
• aired
• bared
• blared