as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
There are those who get it, and the ones who are just too scared to try.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
The invasion really scared me, like I’d never been scared before.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
And employees often are scared to come to work.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
There are those who get it, and the ones who are just too scared to try.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
But all the violence and gore scared off most distributors, so the film—starring Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) in the title role—has been languishing in the vault for much of the last two years.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
The invasion really scared me, like I’d never been scared before.
—Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
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Still, other doctors lauded the results and the potential of the pill to reach new patients, such as those who are afraid of needles.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Aug. 2025
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This is what Galpin was afraid would happen to Tyler.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Family pets, especially dogs, are frightened by the noise and will hide or try to run away.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
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In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Ed and Lorraine are the beautiful, tragic saviors of a terrified family confronted with a deep evil, strengthened by the power of their love for each other.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Parents are terrified, doctors are overwhelmed, and public confidence in our nation’s health leadership has collapsed.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then the Buckel brothers arrived, intent on doing the same, and Smith was startled.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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Another Epstein accuser looked up, startled, to see where the deafening sound was coming from.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hoffman can’t help but cut me off in horrified pity.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
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Finding the remainder, to me, is a part of long division which left me feeling rather horrified.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But when the news eventually came out, the rest of the family was shocked.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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In 2025, the festival also celebrated new life with the unexpected birth of a baby to shocked parents.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Given how strong the waves were that day, on August 26, Rawan was increasingly fearful that the dog might not make it.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Elite Chinese universities fail to attract applicants China’s historically elite universities face growing pressure from a diverse crop of competitors courting applicants fearful of a brutal labor market.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Sylvias become alarmed when Nibs claims to be pregnant.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
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Corporate leaders know full well what is happening, and, in private, many of them are surely alarmed about the possible consequences.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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