as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
the affrighted villagers ran in all directions at the first sight of the monster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
a ghastly sight that would affright any person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affrighted
Adjective
-
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
Verb
-
The small surface area here was full of challenges, none of which scared Hélène Lacombe for a second.—
Nicolas Milon,
Architectural Digest,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said during a press conference shortly after the incident that responding agencies apparently scared off the suspect before the accelerant was ignited.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some expats echo the confidence; others are terrified, sleeping in cars in garages, and scanning for the nearest exits.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Mrie’s angry and terrified family shunned her.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the early hours of Sunday morning, as a bar in a busy nightlife district of Austin, Texas, prepared to close for the night, patrons and staff were startled by the sound of gunshots.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
At first, the banker is startled.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
All your really doing is physically hurting your child–which might lead them to feel angry, afraid, or betrayed.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Over its eight-year run, ABC’s The Rookie has never been afraid to color outside the lines of the network TV cop show format.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The partygoers don’t really know how to react until Stab interrupts the performance to choke Kid out, and then everyone becomes horrified.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This is why some homeowners feel alarmed by rising values but see smaller changes in their tax bills.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Every Chicagoan should be alarmed.—
Julie Darling,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And some of them were very fearful.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
That and the ensuing wave of arrests have made many fearful of taking to the streets again.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Affrighted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affrighted. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
