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
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.
—Craig Spencer, STAT, 13 May 2026
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Fireworks set off without authorization in Rome reportedly triggered a mass stampede of frightened horses during a late-night rehearsal for Italy’s annual Republic Day parade, injuring multiple riders and animals.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
The Americans in that Nebraska unit are isolated and frightened.
—Craig Spencer, STAT, 13 May 2026
Verb
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Apr. 2026
The marsupial escaped from Sunshine Farm in Necedah, a village about 90 miles away from Madison, on March 25, after being frightened by barking dogs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
-
There is no reason to be afraid.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
One woman intended to use the time to order electrolytes online, another was seeking earring backs, and a third needed to find a male babysitter, as well as a summer swim program, for a four-and-a-half-year-old who is afraid of the water.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
The scientists only got a passing glimpse of the goblin shark before the lights and loud noise from the ROV's motor scared it away, Auscavitch told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Just as Jenner passed by, DeGeneres suddenly popped out from her hiding place and scared the 70-year-old reality star.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Because the road into Hunt was unpassable, the Childresses were forced into a monstrous kind of purgatory among other terrified parents at Ingram Elementary School.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
Her 9-year-old daughter was terrified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Her voice startled me, both rough and smooth—like a bottle of whiskey set in front of a princess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Zoo veterinarians and staff will closely monitor the cubs and observe their behaviors like making small climbs, scratching through substrate and calling to one another when startled.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
As a horrified Sam inadvertently observes, a creature has been sating itself on his buddy’s brain.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
As his tricks progressed, the Young Man felt horrified and confused at the same time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
But the solution Russian officials proposed on June 5 spooked NASA officials, prompting them to take the extreme step of securing their astronauts inside Dragon in case of a depressurization event on the space station.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
-
Anthropic’s newest model, Mythos, has spooked the US government and Wall Street with its capabilities, which experts say can exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities at an unprecedented pace.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
His entry in the race quickly alarmed Republicans.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
And in a market where the prevailing press narrative has grown increasingly alarmed about private credit stress, the firm’s public positioning is notable—and worth scrutinizing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
More than three decades after the abduction and killing of a Granite Bay mother shocked Placer County, the man accused of the crime has pleaded guilty and agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Needless to say, my wife, daughters and myself were shocked and devastated.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
