: thrown into or being in a state of fear, fright, or panic
scared of snakes
scared to go out

Examples of scared in a Sentence

I am really scared about speaking in front of the class. He was scared that his mother wouldn't let him go to the movies with his friends. She's scared to walk alone at night.
Recent Examples on the Web But the former president’s promises have scared immigrants and their advocates, who fear a new Trump administration would tear apart mixed-status families and disrupt the livelihoods and lives of entire communities. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 June 2024 Joro spiders are venomous, but they are not known to be aggressive and are much more scared of people than people are of them, which is really saying a lot. Li Cohen, CBS News, 6 June 2024 When the little girl was scared of the dark, her mother locked her in a dark closet to face her fear. Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 6 June 2024 Biden also complimented the Chiefs coaches and players for consoling scared children during the shooting. Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for scared 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scared.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scared was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near scared

Cite this Entry

“Scared.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scared. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.

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