as in frightened
filled with fear or dread
terrified dogs hiding under the couch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of terrified
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, 31 Oct. 2025
The Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center in Columbus was shocked to learn that someone had fortunately come upon the terrified pups just in time, KENS5 reported.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Spooky season is officially upon us, and a golden retriever’s terrified reaction to some unexpected Halloween décor has left internet viewers in hysterics.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Not every traveler wants to feel terrified on vacation, so this round-up of eight spooky places around the globe ranges from the perfectly harmless to the downright creepy.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
When the teamsheets were first released, United fans were equal parts confused and terrified.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
By this point, Teddy, having seen Raggedy Ann’s terrified livestream from earlier in the episode, has raced downtown to the crime scene.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
At the same time, completely terrified and anxious.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Trump is terrified of the midterms, of Republicans losing control of the House or the Senate or both.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Plenty of people who live in low-crime areas with tons of cameras and guns still live every day terrified that a caravan of antifa migrants will surround them and raise their taxes.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The electrical equipment was fried, and the boat operator was terrified.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Teenagedom, as a result, terrified me.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Usually when a pet is terrified of kennel life, a shelter moves quickly to find a loving foster to provide comfort, which is what happened with this little one.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
That said, the scene terrified Ingelsby.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
However, other homebuyers are terrified that the government shutdown may derail their homeownership dreams altogether.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 15 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, 31 Oct. 2025
The Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center in Columbus was shocked to learn that someone had fortunately come upon the terrified pups just in time, KENS5 reported.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
Spooky season is officially upon us, and a golden retriever’s terrified reaction to some unexpected Halloween décor has left internet viewers in hysterics.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Not every traveler wants to feel terrified on vacation, so this round-up of eight spooky places around the globe ranges from the perfectly harmless to the downright creepy.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
When the teamsheets were first released, United fans were equal parts confused and terrified.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
By this point, Teddy, having seen Raggedy Ann’s terrified livestream from earlier in the episode, has raced downtown to the crime scene.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
At the same time, completely terrified and anxious.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Everyone was terrified of Friedkin.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Trump is terrified of the midterms, of Republicans losing control of the House or the Senate or both.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Plenty of people who live in low-crime areas with tons of cameras and guns still live every day terrified that a caravan of antifa migrants will surround them and raise their taxes.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The electrical equipment was fried, and the boat operator was terrified.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Teenagedom, as a result, terrified me.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Usually when a pet is terrified of kennel life, a shelter moves quickly to find a loving foster to provide comfort, which is what happened with this little one.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
That said, the scene terrified Ingelsby.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
However, other homebuyers are terrified that the government shutdown may derail their homeownership dreams altogether.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
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
Verb
-
We weren’t used to being scared by the internet yet.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Few books have scared me as much.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The government hopes for rain, but people are already afraid.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
As a result, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wasn't afraid to acknowledge just how bad things went for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of his team as a whole.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The boy looked up mid-sob, startled.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
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
-
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
-
People with excellent credit are often overly fearful about closing credit cards.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Nov. 2025
-
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
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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