as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
at the sight of the grizzly bear he froze, being too scared to even run away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
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 scared
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
In the recording, students sound increasingly frantic and scared, yelling for the bathroom and asking to be taken back to the school.
—Doug Williams, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
People are scared to take them in.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
In the recording, students sound increasingly frantic and scared, yelling for the bathroom and asking to be taken back to the school.
—Doug Williams, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
The current risk level in the Strait has already scared off most major marine war insurers, who have pulled their coverage of ships in the Strait.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
You can’t be truly trusted if you are being micromanaged or scared to make a mistake.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
-
The problem, at its core, is that people have been afraid to leave their homes to go to work as a result of the ICE surge.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, some staff members, other career officials say, are afraid to voice dissenting views for fear of being fired.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chesney had escaped from an outside enclosure on March 25, after being frightened by some unknown barking dogs.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Facing cameras and a swath of media in her tiny hometown, Long Rife was not frightened by the prospect of moving cross-country.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But since the arrival of the feds, families had grown too terrified to leave home.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Video footage from the rescue shows the terrified dog shivering as the officer calls her.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The missiles startled an Israeli public that has endured comparatively few casualties in recent weeks thanks to the country’s formidable air defenses, frequently tested across many years by rockets from militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
23 Mar. 2026
-
When startled, silver carp can leap several feet out of the water and injure boaters.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hamilton and Madison would have been aligned in horrified opposition had Washington, without congressional action, dispatched gunboats to sink British ships.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And the posts do tend to trigger horrified reactions from other TikTok users.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Elliott said one comment from a female jailer left her shocked.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
So we shouldn’t be overly shocked if the same thing happens this year.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The measure passed the Senate 89-10 but now faces a challenging path in the House of Representatives, where Republicans, who have the majority, are fearful of being forced into a bad deal.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Singh, however, argued that Jones was not coerced but fearful of the consequences.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
