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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightened
Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The woman who found Nado said the feline appeared frightened but was in overall good health, according to the news outlet.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
While one held the frightened animal’s head, the other — wearing a sweatshirt with an image of the Virgin Mary — applied the iron to a horn.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
The woman who found Nado said the feline appeared frightened but was in overall good health, according to the news outlet.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026
Verb
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
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
-
Ridge Vineyards is rooted in tradition but not afraid to change with the times.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The main character, Holly, belongs to a group of people — or perhaps a generation — afraid that life is always happening somewhere else.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
However, the World Cup seems to have scared many of those other events away.—
Dylan Lysen,
Kansas City Star,
8 June 2026
-
The rush of comments and backlash on it really scared the production.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
An Orange County man downed 2 quarts of Jack Daniel’s before firing a gun multiple times inside his Laguna Niguel home, forcing terrified relatives to flee.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Verb
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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
-
The blast in Indonesia's restive eastern Papua region startled locals with a thunderous boom on Sunday afternoon, emitting a ball of flames followed by a thick smoke column, according to footage broadcast on Kompas TV.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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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
-
Much like 1999, when the impending doom of Y2K spooked the masses, fear and anxiety remain noticeable sentiments around technological advancement as the next steps of AI advancement spark concerns around the effect on the economy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
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But recently, the development of more powerful AI models has spooked some federal officials, prompting the White House to reverse course and back some safety measures.—
Deepa Shivaram,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2024 inked a mutual defense treaty, and North Korea has provided thousands of soldiers and munitions to aid Russia’s war on Ukraine, a development that’s alarmed a West wary of a growing alignment between Pyongyang, Moscow and Beijing.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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As part of that crackdown, the FBI in January seized the electronic devices of a Washington Post reporter, a move that alarmed media organizations and advocates of press freedom.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
In Game 3, Wembanyama shocked Knicks fans by pushing Jalen Brunson to the floor without drawing a foul.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
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Images from the confrontation shocked the nation and helped build support for passage of the Voting Rights Act later that year.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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