frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
Synonyms of frightenednext
: 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.
Try Visual Deterrents Birds are easily frightened, so adding colorful flags that wave in the wind may keep them from landing on your lawn and dining on your grass seed. Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 13 Mar. 2026 And a new study, published in the journal Emotion, suggests that a robot that mimics human breathing can also pass on frightened feelings. Simon Makin, Scientific American, 12 Mar. 2026 The facile novelty of adultery is its own mask, a sexy way of dressing up a deep, frightened longing for security. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026 He wasn’t arrested, but Toni Jo was frightened enough to relinquish custody of him and return to Saudi Arabia. James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026 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 14 Mar. 2026.

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