scared 1 of 2

adjective

ˈskerd How to pronounce scared (audio)
Definition of scarednext
as in afraid
filled with fear or dread at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scared

2 of 2

verb

past tense of scare
as in frightened
to strike with fear thunderstorms have always scared her

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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 scared
Adjective
Despite the possibility that other states will be worse off, Maine providers — even those with relatively optimistic financial outlooks — are scared of what’s ahead. — Daniel Payne, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026 Salida Police Department/Facebook The woman and the other person inside the hotel room were scared but uninjured, per the police report. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
The approaching boat scared the alligator away, but Spann had suffered catastrophic injuries. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 While Jessie’s scared to join them, Bullseye takes matters into his own hooves by pulling her drawstring to reveal her presence. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
  1. afraid
  2. frightened
  3. terrified
  4. startled
  5. horrified
  6. shocked
  7. fearful
Adjective
  • The most impressive trick Paranormal Activity pulls off is making an entire theater — devotees and newcomers alike — afraid to look away, and giving them one hell of a good time while doing it.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • What’s left is a vaguely political YouTube series afraid of its own tail, incapable of being actually relatable and too cowardly to own the batshit truths of these people’s lives.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • The rising cost of health care has frightened many people, including those with health insurance.
    — Cara Kelly, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The aggressive approach deeply disrupted and frightened the participants.
    — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened
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
  • Of those who were injured, officials said that many were hurt while falling down or hitting themselves against furniture after being startled by the earthquake while sleeping.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a super restful sleep cycle, whether you are startled by the neighbor’s dog or an unwanted text message.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 17 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
Adjective
  • The man who was shocked was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with life-threatening injuries.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But something fascinating was happening behind the scenes, coinciding with the disaster that had sent Olin overseas and left her bandmates, Augustin and Nathan Slone — located in New York City — shocked.
    — Julius Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • Yet these survivors are so hard-wired to be fearful of their neighbors that Hig and Cima’s rusty, tentative flirtation takes place under the gaze of her daddy’s gun, a heck of a chaperone.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The regime’s final refuge now lies in the self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression can secure a durable peace.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fearful

Browse Nearby Words

scare
scared
scared up
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Cite this Entry

“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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