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
Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Her 9-year-old daughter was terrified.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
For roughly the first three decades of his career, Spielberg tended to take a fairly sanguine view of aliens, refusing to succumb to the disaster-movie framework of aliens attacking terrified Earthlings.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Tom Cruise spends the movie running through New Jersey with two terrified kids while ash drifts through the streets and giant alien war machines scoop humans into dangling metal cages.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Pictures taken from the scene show the building completely engulfed in flames, with terrified people stuck in the building hanging from windows and shouting for help.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
In the mid-2000s, people across America watched a man in a trench coat hand a chat-log transcript to a terrified suspect holding a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
—Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
So many clubs these days seem terrified of signing older players.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Besides, Principal McGee is a classic Saturn authority figure — she's composed, responsible, image-conscious and secretly terrified that the entire school is one bad decision away from public embarrassment.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
Loftis, now terrified, has one question left for Wyck.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Greenlanders were terrified; some have since moved to Denmark.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The comedian was terrified after being fired from NewsRadio.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
And there are a lot of things to be very rightly and understandably terrified of right now, and uncertainty about what's to come.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Jim Barne and Kit Buchan were terrified of being outed as frauds.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 June 2026
The painting is assumed to depict the Greek myth of a Titan who eats his own offspring, terrified that one of his children will overthrow him.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Adjective
Because the road into Hunt was unpassable, the Childresses were forced into a monstrous kind of purgatory among other terrified parents at Ingram Elementary School.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Her 9-year-old daughter was terrified.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
For roughly the first three decades of his career, Spielberg tended to take a fairly sanguine view of aliens, refusing to succumb to the disaster-movie framework of aliens attacking terrified Earthlings.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Tom Cruise spends the movie running through New Jersey with two terrified kids while ash drifts through the streets and giant alien war machines scoop humans into dangling metal cages.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Pictures taken from the scene show the building completely engulfed in flames, with terrified people stuck in the building hanging from windows and shouting for help.
—Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
In the mid-2000s, people across America watched a man in a trench coat hand a chat-log transcript to a terrified suspect holding a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
—Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
So many clubs these days seem terrified of signing older players.
—Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Verb
In the immediate days after the flood, West devoted herself to getting food, gift cards, clothing, and money into the hands of her Hispanic neighbors—no matter their status—who were terrified by the law enforcement that had swarmed into Hunt.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
Besides, Principal McGee is a classic Saturn authority figure — she's composed, responsible, image-conscious and secretly terrified that the entire school is one bad decision away from public embarrassment.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
Loftis, now terrified, has one question left for Wyck.
—Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Greenlanders were terrified; some have since moved to Denmark.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
The comedian was terrified after being fired from NewsRadio.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
And there are a lot of things to be very rightly and understandably terrified of right now, and uncertainty about what's to come.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 7 June 2026
Jim Barne and Kit Buchan were terrified of being outed as frauds.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 June 2026
The painting is assumed to depict the Greek myth of a Titan who eats his own offspring, terrified that one of his children will overthrow him.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrified
Adjective
-
After the arrests, children in her van became frightened and initially refused to get out.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
11 June 2026
-
Flavia Pupo, a manager at a hotel in Pinar del Río, told AP that the shaking rattled the building and frightened people in the area.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The scientists only got a passing glimpse of the goblin shark before the lights and loud noise from the ROV's motor scared it away, Auscavitch told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Just as Jenner passed by, DeGeneres suddenly popped out from her hiding place and scared the 70-year-old reality star.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is no reason to be afraid.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
One woman intended to use the time to order electrolytes online, another was seeking earring backs, and a third needed to find a male babysitter, as well as a summer swim program, for a four-and-a-half-year-old who is afraid of the water.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Her voice startled me, both rough and smooth—like a bottle of whiskey set in front of a princess.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
Zoo veterinarians and staff will closely monitor the cubs and observe their behaviors like making small climbs, scratching through substrate and calling to one another when startled.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
As a horrified Sam inadvertently observes, a creature has been sating itself on his buddy’s brain.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
As his tricks progressed, the Young Man felt horrified and confused at the same time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her shocked caregiver stares at her uncomprehendingly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
By Friday morning, people visiting the Pacifica Municipal Pier seemed less shocked than ready to mourn.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
His entry in the race quickly alarmed Republicans.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
-
And in a market where the prevailing press narrative has grown increasingly alarmed about private credit stress, the firm’s public positioning is notable—and worth scrutinizing.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Furthermore, Kalambay casts doubt on the idea that Ilunga was fearful for his own or his family’s life.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Fiction can be tempting when facts prove elusive, and Tannahill’s series cherishes dancing between the demanding allure of the unknown and the fearful certainty of what can happen when pursuing it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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