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frightened 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
Definition of frightenednext
as in afraid
filled with fear or dread I am frightened of the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of frighten
as in scared
to strike with fear around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales

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 frightened
Adjective
In the second test, 12 dogs were shown happy faces, as well as sad, frightened, and angry ones. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026 Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
The rising cost of health care has frightened many people, including those with health insurance. — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants. — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
  1. afraid
  2. scared
  3. terrified
  4. startled
  5. horrified
  6. spooked
  7. alarmed
  8. shocked
Adjective
  • Some school teachers aren't afraid to reference the meme in class.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In this age of unremitting test screenings and CinemaScore, downer endings typically score lower, so Abrams appreciates that Cregger and Sony weren’t afraid to figuratively twist the knife in the audience.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • Russell’s previous things, HBO put money into, but the whole anti-DEI crusade has meant that a subject matter like this has made American companies scared to invest in it.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers knew part of what scared children on 9/11 were the loud sirens and the fact that trusted figures such as firefighters and police officers were hurt.
    — Julie Dobrow, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • That hasn’t changed; people are still terrified of me in one way or another.
    — Tiana DeNicola, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Nora was feeling less terrified of her former partner and increasingly hopeful that his abuse was in the past.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • Their approach startled the predator, who took off with the mother godwit in its claws.
    — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • While holding Gnocchi, a large street cleaning truck whipped down the street and startled him into clawing away.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Their Bell helicopters collided midair, sending flaming wreckage above the heads of horrified drivers on the Pasadena Freeway.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrified
Verb
  • The incident spooked industry researchers and executives, including Anthropic's Amodei, who referenced it in his proposal for a slowdown.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In short, as scrutiny and criticism ramped up, officers got spooked about making a mistake and becoming front-page news.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of spooked
Adjective
  • Going deeper Fortune's Eleanor Pringle reports that debt hawks are increasingly alarmed as the 10-year Treasury yield approaches 5%, warning the move could signal a brewing national debt spiral.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This week’s soaring temperatures alarmed students and parents of the Torrance Unified School District, where some campuses do not have air conditioning.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to prohibit persecution.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Now a corporate security professional based in Chicago, Neagley is shocked when her childhood bestie, Tommy (Jhaleil Swaby), is killed on the L train tracks, seemingly walking into an oncoming train while high.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocked

Browse Nearby Words

frighten
frightened
frightening
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Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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