as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
horror-struck, the villagers watched helplessly as the tsunami hit the shore
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Recent Examples of horror-struck
Other people were horror-struck by the verdicts in each of these cases, seeing them as a catastrophic failure of the American system of justice.
—
Susan Shelley, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024
Susan Shelley, Orange County Register, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror-struck
Adjective
-
Soapy Water Stink bugs tend to drop when frightened, so fill a cup with soapy water and hold it under the stink bug.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their height and heft frightened and thrilled spectators, earning dinosaurs a permanent place in the public imagination, Coules said.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Though American Pie was all fun and games once the cameras started rolling, Shannon Elizabeth recalls being pretty terrified while trying to land a part in the hit ʼ90s comedy.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Another video, filmed inside the bus and shared on TikTok, captured the terrified screams of students who were riding the bus at the time.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Weeks later, the Flyers removed the interim tag from Briere, hired Keith Jones as team president and were officially in a rebuild — and not afraid of using the word.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
This is an unsparing portrait of addiction, but isn’t afraid to show moments of joy or tenderness, or what’s cool and interesting in this particular youth culture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So Tristian stood, waiting for his moment, preparing himself to do what everyone else was too scared to do.—
Empress Rasheem,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
-
People are scared, at the bottom line.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the scene was projected onto a screen, Jude seemed slightly horrified to see himself in front of the camera rather than behind it.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
This little bird was a horrified little lump that just kept falling over his feet.—
Emma Forgione,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After one bite, Chris looked shocked.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The shocked women find their voices and agree to his terms.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On the campaign trail, school board members and alarmed parents predicted marijuana would increasingly find its way into the hands of children and stoned drivers would cause more traffic collisions.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In the 1850s, company managers were alarmed to find out shipping workers were opening crates and marking P&G containers with stars to help coworkers who couldn’t read.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Ahmed, with his fearful eyes and tense grimace, makes for a compellingly sad and isolated figure.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Countries as far afield as Europe have voiced worry, fearful of the risk to their economies.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horror-struck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror-struck. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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