horror-struck

adjective

ˈhȯr-ər-ˌstrək How to pronounce horror-struck (audio)
Definition of horror-strucknext
as in frightened
filled with fear or dread horror-struck, the villagers watched helplessly as the tsunami hit the shore

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horror-struck
  1. frightened
  2. terrified
  3. afraid
  4. scared
  5. horrified
  6. shocked
  7. alarmed
  8. fearful
Adjective
  • The capital’s numerous skyscrapers amplified the sensation of movement, sending frightened residents into streets and open spaces.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, some of the frightened and wary passengers wondered about them and whether they could be trusted.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified.
    — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • Her patient, Maya, who is afraid of doctors and hospitals, squealed with excitement.
    — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Daly will play Helen Adler, a dedicated birder who’s not afraid to ruffle feathers when her flock is threatened.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Many members of the public also described to reporters and on social media feeling intimidated, scared and harassed by heavily armed security guards hired by the film company to keep the public off streets closed for the movie set.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • More than anything, this adaptation feels scared of being too unlikable or scaring anyone too much.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.
    — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers.
    — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrified
Adjective
  • My conversations and research left me much less shocked at that statistic that had sent chills down my spine a few weeks prior.
    — Luba Kassova, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Katlar Parchman, 19, appeared shocked to be in the defendant's chair on Saturday.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Sacramento City Unified School District’s multiyear projections to address its fiscal crisis relied on revenue assumptions that alarmed fiscal overseers.
    — Chaewon Chung Updated October 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Annual interest expenses will be well over $6 billion, a level that has alarmed deal critics.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarmed
Adjective
  • Davidson struck me as being fearful, clinging to a handful of ugly stories about trans people as a sign of things to come in women-only spaces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In the early days after his diagnosis, my dad grew more fearful, more depressed.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of fearful

Browse Nearby Words

horror shows
horror-struck
hors d'oeuvre
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Cite this Entry

“Horror-struck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horror-struck. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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