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
Dani Blum, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Horses are naturally skittish animals that can easily become frightened and bolt.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 27 May 2025
Footage from the immediate aftermath captured mothers and fathers clutching children on their hips, running through the mist of water dousing the flames, while frightened dogs scrambled alongside them.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
But perhaps there is still a part of me, a frightened boy, who craves the comfort of a simpler story about justice.
—Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Perez would sometimes stay up until 5 or 6 in the morning, frenetic and frightened.
—Dani Blum, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Horses are naturally skittish animals that can easily become frightened and bolt.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 27 May 2025
Footage from the immediate aftermath captured mothers and fathers clutching children on their hips, running through the mist of water dousing the flames, while frightened dogs scrambled alongside them.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
But perhaps there is still a part of me, a frightened boy, who craves the comfort of a simpler story about justice.
—Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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Keep checking in with yourself, stay curious, and don’t be afraid to pivot.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Sydney Sweeney was not afraid to pull punches when playing real-life Christy Martin in the upcoming biopic about the boxer, which wrapped production last November.—
Rance Collins,
IndieWire,
28 June 2025
Verb
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The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
23 Dec. 2024
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My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With no cell service or any experience with snakes, Wall was scared.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
19 June 2025
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The story itself is stripped to bone and sinew: a sleepy New England beach town that wants tourist dollars more than truth, an invisible killer in plain water, and three men — one scared sheriff, one cocky scientist, one Ahab of a fisherman — set adrift to settle nature’s score.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Thus, there’s little sense in getting spooked in the pre-Christmas months; when ad rates are negligible, the cost of doling out any necessary audience deficiency units isn’t exactly going to break the bank.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 Dec. 2024
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Some comments under the video show viewers spooked by the scene, weighing in on whether the leg movement was a result of some kind of paranormal intervention or not.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Inheriting the mantle from Pope Francis, who grew increasingly alarmed by AI's societal risks, Leo is pressing for stronger global governance and ethical oversight of the technology.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
19 June 2025
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That’s what has safety advocates like O’Dowd so alarmed.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The Context The incident is the latest in series of high-profile crimes on New York subway trains that have shocked the city.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
23 Dec. 2024
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And the art world is no different — some artists are using it to help generate work, and others are shocked by its capabilities.—
Lucy Handley,
CNBC,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The restaurant industry — which has long maintained a status quo of hiring immigrants — is finding creative solutions to support fearful staff.—
Karla Marie Sanford,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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In Jewish Insider, Gabby Deutsch talks to the Democrats who are fearful about what the Mamdani win means.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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