as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
terrified dogs hiding under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrified
Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Once in the hands of the incensed and terrified Portuguese authorities, Amador was swiftly punished.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Read more about the series of events that have left Uhrlaub, in her own words, terrified.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 16 Mar. 2026
Responses to Whitmire and Diaz Travis Fife, an attorney for the Texas Civil Rights Project, said the mayor seemed to acknowledge that Wednesday’s changes were in reality doubling down on enforcement practices that have left some Houstonians terrified.
—John Wayne Ferguson, Houston Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026
Everyone is terrified but grateful for this gift Ennis and Gary have given them.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
But her mother, too terrified to take out the garbage, let alone venture through the city to a hospital, canceled the procedure.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
Conor Wight, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Patrick could move there tomorrow, but Russell has to be terrified of every sound.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Viewers are also introduced to Marjorie (Blair Beeken), the activities lead at Oak Canyon Ranch, as well as Rockin’ Grandma’s sole remote worker, web designer Claire (Rachel Kaly), who appears to be terrified by the sun and wholly unnerved by other human beings.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Public testimony stretched for hours, where speakers shared concerns that the legislation could have legal repercussions, disrupt community relationships with local law enforcement and make immigrants terrified to interact with police, school or hospital staff.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
The violent spree terrified and shocked Sacramento at the time.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
And with his clutch reputation, teams are terrified of him in big moments.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Recently, Kristen chased a terrified family with young children up a nearby stairway.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Once in the hands of the incensed and terrified Portuguese authorities, Amador was swiftly punished.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
Read more about the series of events that have left Uhrlaub, in her own words, terrified.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 16 Mar. 2026
Responses to Whitmire and Diaz Travis Fife, an attorney for the Texas Civil Rights Project, said the mayor seemed to acknowledge that Wednesday’s changes were in reality doubling down on enforcement practices that have left some Houstonians terrified.
—John Wayne Ferguson, Houston Chronicle, 11 Mar. 2026
Everyone is terrified but grateful for this gift Ennis and Gary have given them.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
But her mother, too terrified to take out the garbage, let alone venture through the city to a hospital, canceled the procedure.
—Kate Wells, NPR, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Since his detainment, Maria said that she's been terrified of leaving the home.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Patrick could move there tomorrow, but Russell has to be terrified of every sound.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Viewers are also introduced to Marjorie (Blair Beeken), the activities lead at Oak Canyon Ranch, as well as Rockin’ Grandma’s sole remote worker, web designer Claire (Rachel Kaly), who appears to be terrified by the sun and wholly unnerved by other human beings.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Mar. 2026
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Public testimony stretched for hours, where speakers shared concerns that the legislation could have legal repercussions, disrupt community relationships with local law enforcement and make immigrants terrified to interact with police, school or hospital staff.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 5 Mar. 2026
The violent spree terrified and shocked Sacramento at the time.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026
And with his clutch reputation, teams are terrified of him in big moments.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Scared and frightened, the only way to relieve the pain is to sell.—
,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, tanker ships caught in the cross fire ended up at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, which scared off potential customers.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The recent immigration crackdowns have scared her.—
Mary Schmich,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Neither is too afraid of what the USMNT has in store for them, either.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Fairey was forthcoming about his opinions on art, politics and technology, drawing applause at one point for saying that using AI in art is not something to be afraid of.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The realization that many members did not have the same connection to Israel, and even sympathized with its critics, startled her.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hamilton and Madison would have been aligned in horrified opposition had Washington, without congressional action, dispatched gunboats to sink British ships.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Cain seems genuinely shocked by this.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Lexi, who appears to be an assistant, is shocked.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
President Bush, alarmed, directed the National Security Council to prevent Iran from acquiring one.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The historic plane didn't make move to the new terminal, and aviation enthusiasts expressed alarmed there was no plan to find her a new home.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Local politicians that previously supported the chorus, either socially or financially, are now fearful of retribution by the governor, Cabrera said.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The American Kennel Club (AKC) emphasizes that helping fearful dogs requires patience and positive reinforcement.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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