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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of terrified
Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
When workers are terrified, turnover rises, productivity falls and long-term investment stalls.
—Anabel Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Omar makes a call to the cellphone number he's given, and discovers that Hind, a terrified five-year-old, is trapped in the car with the bodies of her family, surrounded by tanks and constant bombing and strafing.
—Bob Mondello, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
For up to 20 minutes during the shooting, the gunmen unleashed a barrage of bullets on men, women and children as terrified beachgoers fled, the New South Wales Police Force reported.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Upon stepping outside, two agents immediately rushed him, tackled him to the ground, and applied a chokehold, leaving him confused and terrified.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
After a deluge of videos poured out of the fallen city in October, which showed gleeful RSF soldiers murdering POWs and terrified civilians, leadership has cracked down on the sharing of videos.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Dec. 2025
Another caller, this one confused and frantic, explained that their cabins were flooding while terrified voices and screams echoed in the background.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
Mainland Skate and Surf shop manager Luke McLeod directed terrified shoppers to the back of the store and rolled two big display cases of sunglasses and watches to block the glass entry doors.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
By 2025, she was terrified that her teenage daughters would be killed by a driver on their walk home from school.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 1 Jan. 2026
The Predator monster has terrified audiences for more than 35 years, but in the story's prequel and fifth installment, the tables turn and the monster becomes the prey.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
My brain, dependent on the instant gratification of likes and replies, reliant on the numbing comfort of scrolling and clicking, and terrified of the prospect of being alone with its own thoughts, was plenty full of poison without another social-media platform being added to the mix.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
Companies are terrified that early-stage AI will disappoint their end customers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
And, essentially, terrified of women.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
As a child, he must be terrified.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
Everyone was terrified of Friedkin.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Understandably terrified, Scott-Miller closed the store to protect her and her family’s safety and peace of mind.
—Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
When workers are terrified, turnover rises, productivity falls and long-term investment stalls.
—Anabel Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Omar makes a call to the cellphone number he's given, and discovers that Hind, a terrified five-year-old, is trapped in the car with the bodies of her family, surrounded by tanks and constant bombing and strafing.
—Bob Mondello, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025
For up to 20 minutes during the shooting, the gunmen unleashed a barrage of bullets on men, women and children as terrified beachgoers fled, the New South Wales Police Force reported.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Upon stepping outside, two agents immediately rushed him, tackled him to the ground, and applied a chokehold, leaving him confused and terrified.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
After a deluge of videos poured out of the fallen city in October, which showed gleeful RSF soldiers murdering POWs and terrified civilians, leadership has cracked down on the sharing of videos.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Dec. 2025
Another caller, this one confused and frantic, explained that their cabins were flooding while terrified voices and screams echoed in the background.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
Mainland Skate and Surf shop manager Luke McLeod directed terrified shoppers to the back of the store and rolled two big display cases of sunglasses and watches to block the glass entry doors.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
Verb
Hodges managed to hang on to his baton but then found himself on all fours, surrounded by the mob, terrified that he would soon be torn apart.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
By 2025, she was terrified that her teenage daughters would be killed by a driver on their walk home from school.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 1 Jan. 2026
The Predator monster has terrified audiences for more than 35 years, but in the story's prequel and fifth installment, the tables turn and the monster becomes the prey.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
My brain, dependent on the instant gratification of likes and replies, reliant on the numbing comfort of scrolling and clicking, and terrified of the prospect of being alone with its own thoughts, was plenty full of poison without another social-media platform being added to the mix.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
Companies are terrified that early-stage AI will disappoint their end customers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025
And, essentially, terrified of women.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
As a child, he must be terrified.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
Everyone was terrified of Friedkin.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Nov. 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
-
What really scared me was telling my audience.—
SELF Staff,
SELF,
9 Jan. 2026
-
That caption scared me for a minute.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
-
From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Authorities in southern Colorado are investigating after a sudden explosion damaged a building and startled nearby residents.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Leibfried was responding to a report of a domestic disturbance in the building and was startled by a loud bang that emanated from the closed door of an apartment.—
Peter Passi,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Yang plays Kieran Culkin’s stand-in, his arms nightmarishly chainsawed off as Ashley Padilla’s Catherine O’Hara equivalent lets out a series of horrified shrieks.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Then her old, extremely offensive X posts resurfaced—and the buzz turned to horrified backlash.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The mom of two could be seen typing and looking animatedly at her screen, appearing shocked.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Fans on social media are mostly excited (and a little shocked) at this latest bakery item.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
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
-
The Kurds became even more fearful of losing their rights after government forces massacred minority Alawites and Druze in fighting throughout 2025.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Abbie was cold and very fearful when the officers found her, and she was later found to have suffered a hip injury that will require surgery, police and rescuers said.—
Bruce Shipkowski,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Terrified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrified. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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