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
Use of QACs soared during the Covid-19 pandemic as frightened masses sanitized themselves and nearly everything else in sight. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Families were frightened, communities were looking for guidance, and clinicians were desperate for answers. — Ronald Nahass, STAT, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
In those moments, what frightened her most was not her own safety but the knowledge that her husband was up there somewhere, flying in the same sky swarming with fighter planes dropping their bombs on Tehran. — Mahsa Alimardani, Time, 6 July 2026 At the time of writing, as the Marine Traffic map shows, tanker traffic is barely moving through the Strait, and many ships, unable to obtain insurance or with their owners frightened at the level of risk involved, are refusing to advance. — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 July 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
  • Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud spoke of community members, including children, who were afraid of the protesters coming to the city.
    — DeJanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Amanda takes off and sits on the grass, afraid this will happen to her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • Durkin went 21-for-22 from less than 50 yards out, for those scared by Trey Smack’s 30-yard misses.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The devastation scared off tourists, despite many other parts of Los Angeles' West Side remaining open.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • During the attack, terrified students huddled together under their desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, video filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • At a news conference, Twin Falls police released dramatic surveillance video that showed terrified employees diving for cover and shielding one another.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a super restful sleep cycle, whether you are startled by the neighbor’s dog or an unwanted text message.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes workers would be startled by the sight of a machine moving by itself and realize it was being controlled by someone in Turkey.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • When Tae-ha starts a fire that erupts into an explosion, a horrified Eun-sae begins to remember her life before amnesia.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In one early scene, a horrified Pam stares into her bathroom mirror, covered head to toe in blood.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 13 July 2026
Definition of horrified
Verb
  • On the other hand, lettuce saw its largest month-over-month price decline on record as the cyclospora outbreak spooked consumers.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Then two bucks appeared – none of which were in the group of whitetails that had spooked previously.
    — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of spooked
Adjective
  • The proposal to paint the building has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and degrade the stone.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Chan's death comes after celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also alarmed fans on a TikTok livestream when police were called to his home after reports of self-harm.
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • The Panthers shocked the Seminoles with one of their most damaging losses last season at Doak.
    — Andre C. Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The bombing of churchgoers in their own house of worship shocked the world.
    — Jason Wollschleger, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocked

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frightened
frightening
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Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of frightened for Spanish Speakers

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