as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
horror-struck, the villagers watched helplessly as the tsunami hit the shore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
Nearly a week later, Scott and Kodi Allred, a couple traveling to visit their son at the University of Northern Colorado, saw the frightened black dachshund darting along the same stretch of road near Elk Mountain.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Dramatic body cam video shows a terrified boy was being held by the throat when his knife-wielding captor was killed by a deputy, the Florida investigators say.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The disaster forced terrified guests and hotel staff to leap from windows or dangle bedsheets to escape rooms engulfed in smoke and flames.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
-
From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The birds were scared away by a resident’s dog.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
-
As Hodges stood there, scared and vulnerable, the man grabbed his baton and bashed him on the head with it, rupturing his lip and smashing his skull.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
To be honest with you, everyone on the cast is pretty horrified by her behavior.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
7 Nov. 2025
-
When the woman ran out of the apartment screaming for help, Burnside turned to his horrified step-daughter, who witnessed the attack on her mom, and began to repeatedly stab her about the body, face and head.—
Thomas Tracy,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The shocked passengers on the boat were also unharmed.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ryan’s stepfather sat quietly, appearing shocked and betrayed.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Experts are especially alarmed that the CDC is investigating splitting up the MMR vaccine, which protects kids against measles, mumps and rubella in one shot.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Phil, Myrtle’s son, who lived out of state, became alarmed when a concerned neighbor later notified him that his mother had vanished.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Kurds became even more fearful of losing their rights after government forces massacred minority Alawites and Druze in fighting throughout 2025.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Abbie was cold and very fearful when the officers found her, and she was later found to have suffered a hip injury that will require surgery, police and rescuers said.—
Bruce Shipkowski,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Horror-struck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror-struck. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share