: 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
Anna Sewell
Synonyms
Examples of frightened in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In his love life Napoleon is depicted as a clumsy, frightened and timid little boy.
—Zenger News, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
People are frightened of not producing in this obsessed world of continuous work.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2023
As Terry was carried away by medical professionals, the country star sat down on stage to lead the frightened audience in prayer.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2023
Both does and bucks will issue a brief snort when alarmed or frightened.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 28 Sep. 2023
Video shows large crowds of frightened civilians, many with young children, seeking shelter at a Russian peacekeeping base.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
The smoke was visible at the checkpoint, but the soldiers, who seemed frightened, shouted at him to stay back and not come any closer.
—Nathan Thrall, Curbed, 25 Oct. 2023
McRae worked several months on Austin’s job sites, drew a paycheck, hit the road, and Austin, who was mildly frightened by the man’s rhetoric, expected never to hear from him again.
—Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
Is this someone who can’t feel, or who is frightened of feeling too much?
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
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Zenger News, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
People are frightened of not producing in this obsessed world of continuous work.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2023
As Terry was carried away by medical professionals, the country star sat down on stage to lead the frightened audience in prayer.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2023
Both does and bucks will issue a brief snort when alarmed or frightened.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 28 Sep. 2023
Video shows large crowds of frightened civilians, many with young children, seeking shelter at a Russian peacekeeping base.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
The smoke was visible at the checkpoint, but the soldiers, who seemed frightened, shouted at him to stay back and not come any closer.
—Nathan Thrall, Curbed, 25 Oct. 2023
McRae worked several months on Austin’s job sites, drew a paycheck, hit the road, and Austin, who was mildly frightened by the man’s rhetoric, expected never to hear from him again.
—Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
Is this someone who can’t feel, or who is frightened of feeling too much?
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frightened.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing frightened
Dictionary Entries Near frightened
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightened. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on frightened
Nglish: Translation of frightened for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of frightened for Arabic Speakers
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