as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
I am frightened of the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightened
Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite Lockjaw’s raid of their town, which reads as akin to an ICE campaign, Sensei isn’t frightened, confused, or shaken.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
There are liberals in media, but the corporations are now either controlled by the right wing or frightened of it.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Business owners in Little Village, which is 81% Hispanic, said customers are too frightened to walk the streets of Chicago’s second busiest commercial corridor.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Despite Lockjaw’s raid of their town, which reads as akin to an ICE campaign, Sensei isn’t frightened, confused, or shaken.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Like the Earth sign, the righteous dog detective Scooby doesn't appreciate confrontation and gets frightened in scary situations.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
There are liberals in media, but the corporations are now either controlled by the right wing or frightened of it.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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Heat coaches and players aren’t afraid to admit it.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Some in Silicon Valley, even those developing advanced AI, are genuinely afraid of where the technology might lead.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Few books have scared me as much.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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And don’t be ashamed to straight-up ask if the route is appropriate for someone who has never rock climbed or is scared of climbing a ladder.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Not every traveler wants to feel terrified on vacation, so this round-up of eight spooky places around the globe ranges from the perfectly harmless to the downright creepy.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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Instead of bounding in with excitement, the golden retriever looks terrified.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Whether a pup bolts after a squirrel, slips its collar, or runs off after being startled, those first few minutes can feel endless.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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Who jumped, startled, when Rey laughed nervously.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Like Porcile, a horrified warning.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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When Trowbridge announces that Rayburn was the architect of the HMS Courageous attack and doesn’t say a word about Roylin, everyone is rocked back on their heels in horrified surprise, except for Dennison.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dumb and Dumber, but left in the middle of the night after getting spooked.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
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See the video here — but don’t blame me if you get spooked!—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, its minimal restrictions have alarmed lawyers, researchers, and public figures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
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The actor remembered that paramedics became alarmed after checking his vital signs, and he was rushed to the nearest hospital.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, many of those watching Ray’s video were shocked at how long his daughter’s day at school was.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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Then, when the movie came to Netflix in 2021 and there was an online resurgence, she was once again shocked to learn about the series' impact.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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