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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightened
to strike with fear
thunderstorms have always scared her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scared
Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Oct. 2025
What if the Bill Hader Cat in the Hat movie got delayed a year because Bill’s scared, too?
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
And in the movie’s eyes, that central lie is still passing along Bessie’s tragedy to new sets of ears, and thus neither our hero’s best friend nor that scared young boy in Eastern Europe is ever truly forgotten.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Adjective
For people scared of investing, Tu says to look closer at those cautionary tales.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 Oct. 2025
What if the Bill Hader Cat in the Hat movie got delayed a year because Bill’s scared, too?
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
There are certainly no major factors like physical abuse during our childhood, however, our mother had some psychological problems and showed some anger and paranoia symptoms, which scared us as children and were overt enough that many in our town knew about her.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
And in the movie’s eyes, that central lie is still passing along Bessie’s tragedy to new sets of ears, and thus neither our hero’s best friend nor that scared young boy in Eastern Europe is ever truly forgotten.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scared
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scared
Adjective
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Tessa Kluetz Pernell designs interiors that aren’t afraid to make a bold statement.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Rings of Power, but those are based on proven IP, at a moment when the industry seems afraid to spend big on anything but brand names.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Malik’s boss is not happy that Malik doesn’t have a grip on the Crane brothers, though Malik assures him that Amos frightened Sarah into backing off — and that Dinah is tucked away at a safe house.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
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Don’t be frightened, though, fans; The Parent Trap gal is still in the competition!—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Verb
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The boy looked up mid-sob, startled.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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Across America, Halloween spending is expected to reach record levels this year, including large crowds waiting for their chance to be chased, startled and screamed at.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To be honest with you, everyone on the cast is pretty horrified by her behavior.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
7 Nov. 2025
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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
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The shocked passengers on the boat were also unharmed.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Ryan’s stepfather sat quietly, appearing shocked and betrayed.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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People with excellent credit are often overly fearful about closing credit cards.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
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Analysts are fearful about what that means for its margins and earnings — and, in some cases, are lowering their outlooks for the stock.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scared. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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