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
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Social media quickly filled with images of frightened students scrambling to safety.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
When 17 children from one classroom inexplicably run out into the night, a frightened insular community starts pointing fingers at their young schoolteacher (Julia Garner) and the sole survivor, Alex (Cary Christopher).
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Social media quickly filled with images of frightened students scrambling to safety.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
Family pets, especially dogs, are frightened by the noise and will hide or try to run away.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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Beck has a fluid, quick throwing motion and isn’t afraid to fit the ball into tight windows.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the 2025 Emmys shows us that, now more than ever, men aren’t afraid to show a little personality in their red carpet looks.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Parents, scared by the specter of brain damage, are reluctant to let their kids play tackle football.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
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His home’s security system was triggered and reportedly scared off the burglar, and nothing was stolen from the property.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a recent video posted to the AI Bible's Youtube channel, buildings crumble and terrified-looking people claw their way through the rubble.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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Ed and Lorraine are the beautiful, tragic saviors of a terrified family confronted with a deep evil, strengthened by the power of their love for each other.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Seagulls lift off the beach, startled by the sudden salty cacophony.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While some dogs are more confident, others may become easily startled by noises, objects, or movements that appear harmless to humans.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Prime Video series ends with a horrified Daniel looking at Cherry, who's shown smiling at him with her hands calmly resting on very pregnant belly.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
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Hoffman can’t help but cut me off in horrified pity.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In fact, fundamentals take a back seat when investors get spooked by the outlook, and even great stocks can take a beating.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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But the detentions have already spooked foreign investors.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Parents will be especially alarmed and this will place terrible burdens on pediatricians who will need to assuage their worries in order to provide important protections against serious and sometimes fatal diseases.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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That move alarmed Israeli officials who question the motives of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander.—
Gram Slattery,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The brutal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus shocked the nation and is forcing it to confront what appears to be an increase in political violence across the country.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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The Charlie Kirk shooting shocked the nation and has been the main story over the past view days, as political tensions rise.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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