FRIGHTENED Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

frightened 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊnd

Definition of frightened

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

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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

Animal control officers and rescuers safely resolve encounters with frightened animals every day using catch poles, barriers, treats, owners’ assistance, and patience. — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026 Perel compares the moment facing today’s executives to the one facing a parent with a frightened child. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Verb

But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 Morocco finished level on points with Brazil in Group C and frightened Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the first half of their entertaining encounter. — Jay Harris, New York Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for frightened

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened

Adjective

And many of them weren’t afraid to make that known on social media.

— Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
The logic is that if colleges are afraid to sign a player out of fear of retaliation, the player won’t receive the benefits of Judge Sweeney’s order granting the injunction.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of afraid

Adjective

As their captors sought cover, the terrified children were ordered to stay and shoot down the jets over the capital, Khartoum.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Fuelled by unhinged online hate and anti-Israel extremism, total violent hate crimes skyrocketed by 97% since 2022, forcing terrified Jewish communities around the world into hiding.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of terrified

Verb

Witness Hoon Chan Sim, 53, was sitting on a park lawn with his dog near West Drive when he was startled by the squeal of braking tires, and spun around to see the horrific collision.

— Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Wildlife experts say black bears are strong climbers and may scale trees, utility poles or other tall structures when startled by people, traffic or dogs.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of startled

Adjective

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
The first police officer on the scene quickly ran back to the station for help, while neighbors calmed the horrified Lizzie.

— Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 June 2026

Definition of horrified

Verb

On one side were animal rights activists who said carriage horses are overworked, get easily spooked on city streets, live in inadequate stables and are controlled by abusive owners and drivers.

— Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
This after Wall Street closed lower as pressure from the big tech stocks weighed on the broader index, while a spike in oil prices and Treasury yields also spooked investors.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 24 July 2026

Definition of spooked

Verb

On Tuesday, social media feeds were flooded with users shocked after allegedly witnessing celebrity blogger Perez Hilton live-streaming acts of self-harm on TikTok.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Georgia players said before Wednesday's first fall practice they were shocked when two veterans, tight end Lawson Luckie and defensive back KJ Bolden, were selected to unveil the new uniform in a team meeting.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocked

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frighten

frightened

frightening

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“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of frightened

adjective

verb

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