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
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
There is a 9-year-old girl sitting terrified and tearful and blaming herself for wanting to see Disney.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
My dad started a few companies, and my mom was always terrified about the lack of financial stability.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 11 Feb. 2026
In one of those realities (the actual one most of us are living in), a growing number of people across the political spectrum are angered, terrified and disgusted by actions being taken in their names by people and agencies which seem to have little or no accountability.
—Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The accompanying illustration shows a terrified boy running from a sky full of books flapping their pages like Hitchcockian birds.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Three trucks drove by and our kid was terrified.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
Glen Burnie residents reported feeling terrified following the incident.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s----ing themselves and terrified about what's to come.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There are things to be terrified of.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
So much of it has become normalized for me, but if a weekend skier was up there, I’d be terrified for them.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Rightly disappointed, Warren wasn’t entirely terrified.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
There is a 9-year-old girl sitting terrified and tearful and blaming herself for wanting to see Disney.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
My dad started a few companies, and my mom was always terrified about the lack of financial stability.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 11 Feb. 2026
In one of those realities (the actual one most of us are living in), a growing number of people across the political spectrum are angered, terrified and disgusted by actions being taken in their names by people and agencies which seem to have little or no accountability.
—Brenda Looper, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
The accompanying illustration shows a terrified boy running from a sky full of books flapping their pages like Hitchcockian birds.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
The bodycam video was an eye-opening look at the frightening aftermath of the Brown campus shooting when police were searching room-by-room for the suspect, trying to comfort and care for terrified students, and trying to coordinate with campus police to get past locked doors.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
Three trucks drove by and our kid was terrified.
—Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Feb. 2026
Glen Burnie residents reported feeling terrified following the incident.
—Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
But after that, the administration was terrified of losing Tang – Arkansas had been sniffing around – and in order to guarantee that the coach who had led a whopping 36 games in his lifetime wasn’t going anywhere, gave him a fresh new deal with a bunch more money.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s----ing themselves and terrified about what's to come.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Quote of the week Labour seem to be mystified and terrified of the bond market in equal proportions.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Pearl asks Sam the changeling son, appropriately terrified by the terms of such salvation.
—Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s 11th-hour entrance into the race for Los Angeles mayor infuriated establishment Democrats, thrilled many progressives and terrified some conservatives.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
America would be better off if its elites could act responsibly without being terrified.
—Josh Tyrangiel, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There are things to be terrified of.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
So much of it has become normalized for me, but if a weekend skier was up there, I’d be terrified for them.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
While protesters may be frightened and grieving after last month's bloodbath, they're not mollified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Inside the bathysphere of the novel, readers make contact with a darkness that our frightened minds might otherwise reject.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Everyone sees what’s happening, but everyone’s scared to talk.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
After all, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre only scared away investors from China for a few years; opportunities to make money in Deng Xiaoping’s market economy soon lured them back.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to wear these shoes to the fullest.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Thank you for your attempt at helping in the noble cause of mannerliness, but Miss Manners is afraid that your suggestion represents the problem, not the solution.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
My cat was startled by a loud noise from outside and ran across the apartment with the needle in her mouth.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The partygoers don’t really know how to react until Stab interrupts the performance to choke Kid out, and then everyone becomes horrified.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
You’re just horrified at what those kinds of impacts have.—
Andrew Dampf,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tuesday morning’s news came without warning to members of the MLBPA, leaving them shocked.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Homan looked shocked and denied the allegation.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The experiment ended early because the researchers became alarmed by how fast previously ordinary people devolved into violence when shielded from accountability.—
William Robiner,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
So don’t be alarmed because this is Mother Nature’s master plan in action.—
Jill Schildhouse,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Border czar Tom Homan says more than a thousand federal agents have already left Minnesota, though many community members remain distrustful and fearful.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Today everyday Texans are feeling stressed about the economy, demoralized by an administration that is trampling on our constitution, and fearful that our government is broken beyond repair.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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