as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
terrified dogs hiding under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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.
Recent Examples of terrified
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
McDonald plays her as a tragic heroine terrified of abandonment.
—Adam Moss, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Although conditions in Malibu may not be among the worst firefighters have seen, the Franklin fire has torched several vehicles and left residents who had to flee terrified.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
As the fighting ramped up in September, with daily missile barrages on the entire north, people were terrified of driving, fearing they’d be caught on the roads without shelter.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024
Several subway riders testified they were terrified Neely was going to attack and they were relieved when Penny put him in a chokehold and kept him there.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
My Unsung Hero She was terrified waiting for surgery.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
To put that into context, people are terrified of aging or miserable in their bodies.
—Essence, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
McDonald plays her as a tragic heroine terrified of abandonment.
—Adam Moss, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
Although conditions in Malibu may not be among the worst firefighters have seen, the Franklin fire has torched several vehicles and left residents who had to flee terrified.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
As the fighting ramped up in September, with daily missile barrages on the entire north, people were terrified of driving, fearing they’d be caught on the roads without shelter.
—Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024
Several subway riders testified they were terrified Neely was going to attack and they were relieved when Penny put him in a chokehold and kept him there.
—Gloria Pazmino, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
My Unsung Hero She was terrified waiting for surgery.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
To put that into context, people are terrified of aging or miserable in their bodies.
—Essence, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
Audience noises at the NRG Stadium in Houston went from frightened gasps to applause as the descent was completed.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
29 June 2025
-
Things were hectic in the mall, Stain, 45, said, with lots of frightened people running to the exits.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Don't be afraid to talk about your fears with family members, friends, a counselor or others who can offer emotional support.—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
-
The revelation helps explain why the giant snakes — which can grow to 18 feet in Florida — are not afraid to swallow creatures that are nearly equal in size, experts say.—
Mark Price
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
All small business owners suffer financially when their employees are taken or too scared to come to work.—
Billal Rahman
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
An officer said the man was dehydrated, confused and scared when he was rescued, according to WBZ.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
The season 26 veto meeting when Tucker chooses not to save himself and instead saves a shocked Angela.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
-
The reason people are so shocked about all this is not many 'Christians' and even 'pastors' actually believe the Bible.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Just like Netanyahu manufactured this war to destroy diplomacy, the world should be highly alarmed about increasing attempts by the failing Israeli regime to get others to bail it out and to expand the flames to the region and beyond.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
And when the internet bloomed, people grew alarmed that easy access to information would erode our capacity for concentration and contemplation.—
Robert B. Tucker,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The restaurant industry — which has long maintained a status quo of hiring immigrants — is finding creative solutions to support fearful staff.—
Karla Marie Sanford,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
-
In Jewish Insider, Gabby Deutsch talks to the Democrats who are fearful about what the Mamdani win means.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share