TERRIFIED Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

terrified 1 of 2

adjective

as in frightened

filled with fear or dread terrified dogs hiding under the couch

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terrified

2 of 2

verb

past tense of terrify

as in scared

to strike with fear the prospect of speaking in front of a huge crowd of people absolutely terrifies me

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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 terrified

Adjective

Follicularly stuck in the 2000s, the vast majority of us are terrified short hair will age us. — Molly Mulshine, InStyle, 30 Oct. 2026 His novels are absolute master classes in how much to reveal, how much to leave to the reader’s terrified imagination. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 27 Oct. 2026 Synagogues canceled Sabbath prayers, while terrified Jewish citizens were warned to conceal skullcaps and flee home. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Word spread across the city that the Taliban had kill lists of Afghan women activists, and hundreds of terrified women went into hiding. — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 Even after the attacker was restrained, passengers remained terrified. — Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 This kind of conversation always leaves me half-amused, half-terrified. — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026 His recent Instagram video of an iguana by his pool went viral, as a terrified Antetokounmpo watched the iguana from inside his new Pinecrest home. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 That hasn’t changed; people are still terrified of me in one way or another. — Tiana Denicola, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

An unexplained light show over France And how better to kick off our Halloween skywatching tales than with a retelling of the strange event that terrified my entire family during a trip to France, two decades ago. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026 No wonder Dad had been terrified of making a mistake, of relaxing or trusting others enough to let his guard down. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Afterward, the boy was terrified of the police, said his mother, Colette James. — Rosie Cima, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 By this point, the audience knows the monster a little too well to be properly terrified of her. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Letter writer was terrified by friend’s constant phone use in the car — but only got mocked for speaking up. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 For years, Democratic candidates were terrified of being accused of wanting to raise taxes. — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026 And now 25-year-old Malika is terrified that Kalsoum, her youngest daughter, will meet the same fate as Khadija. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 Marris was terrified for her daughter and furious with herself. — CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified

Adjective

Defense challenges claims of disruption Sabatini sought to undermine the university’s account by distinguishing between students feeling frightened and actual interruptions to academic activities.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
Trust is how that knowledge reaches the next child, and the next frightened mother.

— Michelle A. Williams, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of frightened

Verb

Aramayo is candid about the fear, as well as the script that scared him.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
That’s a $69,000 per-screen average — a far cry from La La Land ($176K) or even Anora ($91K), but in line with the likes of Poor Things and I, Tonya, showing that the streamers’ imprimatur hasn’t scared off theatrical audiences.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of scared

Adjective

Trump notched some significant wins, like the end of the old asylum system and a suite of progressive tax cuts, which Democrats are afraid to run against.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
On November 1, King Charles was left umbrella-less in a torrential downpour in Antigua and Barbuda—and wasn’t afraid to show his frustration.

— Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of afraid

Verb

Surveillance footage & evidence Police reviewed surveillance footage in the area, which showed the two gunshot victims walking, then appear startled, according to court records.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
However, startled by the activation of the security system, the suspect fled the scene without stealing any loot.

— Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of startled

Adjective

Photos from the scene show several UTSA members surrounding the airman on the field after the fatal fall, as medics tended to him in front of horrified spectators.

— Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2026
Gomez, 67, recalled, watching as responding officers pulled a horrified boy from the car.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrified

Adjective

The previous June, during a COVID wave in Moscow, his wife, Anna Matveeva, a photographer and a film editor, had caught the virus, and Zvyagintsev, who had a long-standing lung condition and was fearful of falling ill, went to stay in his office.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
For that reason, Corron cast his ballot for Ciscomani, fearful of what might happen if Democrats take control of Congress.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of fearful

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“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of terrified

adjective

verb

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