as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
I am frightened of the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump’s culture wars are spreading fear, intimidation and self-censorship, but American artists, along with artists around the world, have long been the ones to speak out when others are too frightened.
—Jane M. Saks, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
This is no longer about ideology, this is about standing up for those who are being wrongly arrested, being unfairly harassed or being made to feel constantly frightened in their own homes.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Wilkens later failed to come to court to extend the protective order, too frightened to see Carlton in person.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
Trump’s culture wars are spreading fear, intimidation and self-censorship, but American artists, along with artists around the world, have long been the ones to speak out when others are too frightened.
—Jane M. Saks, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
This is no longer about ideology, this is about standing up for those who are being wrongly arrested, being unfairly harassed or being made to feel constantly frightened in their own homes.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
-
The problem, at its core, is that people have been afraid to leave their homes to go to work as a result of the ICE surge.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, some staff members, other career officials say, are afraid to voice dissenting views for fear of being fired.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The recent immigration crackdowns have scared her.—
Mary Schmich,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
-
That process has effectively scared many people away from filling out paperwork to recertify with Medi-Cal due to fears of being outed by the federal government, which is cracking down on undocumented immigrants by apprehending and deporting them.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The missiles startled an Israeli public that has endured comparatively few casualties in recent weeks thanks to the country’s formidable air defenses, frequently tested across many years by rockets from militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
-
When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hamilton and Madison would have been aligned in horrified opposition had Washington, without congressional action, dispatched gunboats to sink British ships.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some passengers have been arriving even earlier in Atlanta -- one of the world's busiest airports -- spooked about missing flights because of delays.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Some passengers have been arriving even earlier in Atlanta — one of the world's busiest airports — spooked about missing flights because of delays.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The exemption, however, has alarmed residents, who have spoken up at county board meetings and launched a community organization, Not in My Backyard Imperial, to protest the data center and demand a CEQA review.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Refugee advocates were alarmed, asking if women raised under an oppressive regime could be expected to question the Australian government’s media strategy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both view the Lebanese government as still completely incapable of disarming Hezbollah, though both were shocked at the new assertiveness of Beirut as seen by Tuesday’s banishment of Iran’s ambassador.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Kunno’s eviction left his alliance in the house shocked, and no one more than Oriana Marzoli, who’s been at the center of a lot of the drama all season long.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
