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
Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Did Dorothy really say that Betty was frightened?
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Too frightened to reveal herself, Sophie stays hidden, and after Benedict’s visit, her stepmother realizes Sophie was the woman in silver who captured his attention that night.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Did Dorothy really say that Betty was frightened?
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.
—CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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There’s no need to fret about sticking to a rigid routine (which is probably more practical with older kids), and your kids aren’t afraid to come up with new plans and ideas at the last minute.—
Alex Vance,
Parents,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In nondemocratic regimes, senior officials wall themselves off from reality because their underlings are afraid to deliver bad news.—
Donald Moynihan,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Of course, the unions and progressive politicians claim there is no reason to be scared by the roughly $30 billion in additional taxes this would require.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Oc Register,
1 Feb. 2026
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The two women saw broke, scared Diann alone in the lobby of a motel and invited her to stay with them.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Innocent men remain terrified of false allegations, while victims still face one terrible choice after another.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Barry’s little sister, who answered the call, was terrified.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
After several chest compressions, Briana startled awake and cried.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But some Germans are not thrilled by this American adoption of lüften, posting their own horrified reaction videos to TikTok.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
In witness footage shared by the police, the paraglider is seen falling from the sky with a faulty parachute and spiraling quickly towards the waters below, before smashing into the ocean in front of horrified beachgoers.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But investors were spooked and dumped shares in legal and financial software and services companies.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The new model’s research and analysis abilities are likely what spooked financial services investors on Friday.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Others in Guojun’s orbit were more alarmed.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
This year's software stock sell-off, which accelerated Tuesday, has alarmed investors, traders and analysts who worry the slide has further to go.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cubans were shocked by the US operation in January that captured their key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and resulted in the deaths of more than 30 Cuban security forces protecting him.—
Bianna Golodryga,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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DeepSeek's release at the time shocked global investors, who thought China could not innovate on AI without high-end Nvidia chips.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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