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
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
But after days of feeling terrified and confused, Lo isn’t willing to take orders from a hooded figure.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
And that would be key going into any future battle with Homelander, who still terrified Neuman.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 22 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
The brigade of heavily armed cops terrified the kids, causing Cooper to take stock of police tactics deployed in service of nabbing people who might be no more than casual pot smokers.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Hollywood has arguably played a role in helping keep the world rightly terrified of nukes for the last 80 years.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
The Mariners are terrified of the Carpenter versus Kirby matchup.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
But after days of feeling terrified and confused, Lo isn’t willing to take orders from a hooded figure.
—Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Monroe has to slowly tilt from being beguiled and intrigued by Stevens to totally terrified by him, and her ability to pull it off while explosions and gun battles are going on around her sells the film’s tonal shifts perfectly.
—Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
And that would be key going into any future battle with Homelander, who still terrified Neuman.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 22 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
The brigade of heavily armed cops terrified the kids, causing Cooper to take stock of police tactics deployed in service of nabbing people who might be no more than casual pot smokers.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Hollywood has arguably played a role in helping keep the world rightly terrified of nukes for the last 80 years.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
The Mariners are terrified of the Carpenter versus Kirby matchup.
—The Athletic Mlb Staff, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The Japanese had cyclotrons but no nuclear lobby driven by frightened, concerned, or ambitious scientists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 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
-
Tessa Kluetz Pernell designs interiors that aren’t afraid to make a bold statement.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Like Porcile, a horrified warning.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The other women were absolutely shocked — especially Ali.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
With everyone shocked, curious and eager for more, Otto decided to vlog the experience for fans.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The move, widely seen as an abandonment of long-standing arms control traditions, has alarmed diplomats and security analysts worldwide.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The Crichton Trust’s lawyer Robert Klieger wasn’t so alarmed when contacted by Deadline on Wednesday.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 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 8 Nov. 2025.
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