frightened 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
Definition of frightenednext
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

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
Adjective
Parents at evacuation centers in the village said many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 The findings could help explain why dogs often seem to react differently when people smile, cry or appear frightened. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
Before signing off, the teenager thanks her — the exchange calmed her down after Google search results frightened her. — Jennifer Karlin, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026 Fig, an Australian shepherd, ran away from home after getting frightened by July Fourth fireworks. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
  1. afraid
  2. scared
  3. terrified
  4. startled
  5. horrified
  6. spooked
  7. alarmed
  8. shocked
Adjective
  • The Florida International University senior struggled to attend classes and stopped driving – afraid something bad would happen.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder is basically a gigantic receiver who isn’t afraid to put his hand in the dirt and block.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • Midland Democrat Kathleen Curell worries some of those persuadable voters may be scared off by some of El-Sayed's positions.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The size of this verdict scared Meta into recently settling a similar case brought by 47 other states for a total that could reach $18 billion.
    — Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • While holding Gnocchi, a large street cleaning truck whipped down the street and startled him into clawing away.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • When Tae-ha starts a fire that erupts into an explosion, a horrified Eun-sae begins to remember her life before amnesia.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of horrified
Verb
  • In that section, gruesome murders have spooked what few locals there are, and the boy, Caleb (Atticus Affleck), has a shifty, older-than-his years air about him that makes farmer Emmett (Scoot McNairy) quite unsettled.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Despite having some experience, including one start last year, Vizzina looked spooked against LSU’s pass rush.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of spooked
Adjective
  • This week’s soaring temperatures alarmed students and parents of the Torrance Unified School District, where some campuses do not have air conditioning.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some former workers are alarmed that the data sale could possibly harm the public.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • News consumers today, surfing the slurry of free information on their phones and browsers, are constantly being shocked by the old.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Atlanta drivers were left shocked late Sunday night after a driver's legs were seen dangling from a vehicle lodged under an overpass.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocked

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frightened
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Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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