frightened 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
Definition of frightenednext
as in afraid
filled with fear or dread I am frightened of the dark

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of frighten
as in scared
to strike with fear around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 frightened
Adjective
Commuters felt prolonged shaking as trains were halted for safety checks, classes were canceled in one coastal town, and frightened schoolchildren were sent home after the temblor struck offshore. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026 Some days are spent inside an Ebola Treatment Unit caring for patients who are frightened, isolated, and desperately ill. — Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 26 June 2026
Verb
Morocco finished level on points with Brazil in Group C and frightened Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the first half of their entertaining encounter. — Jay Harris, New York Times, 29 June 2026 But because the president has frightened Congress, Congress doesn’t raise its voice when the president puts his Albert Speer–like building project, or intends to, on Congress’s land. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
  1. afraid
  2. scared
  3. terrified
  4. startled
  5. horrified
  6. spooked
  7. alarmed
  8. shocked
Adjective
  • The ruling leaves trans student-athletes and their advocates feeling angry and afraid.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 July 2026
  • Pregnant mothers are afraid of their babies not being able to have a home.
    — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • Don’t be scared by his blue eyes.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • Lendeborg being 24 when camp opens rightly scared away some of the rebuilding teams picking ahead of Golden State, especially in concert with his iffy outside shot.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Outrage continues to grow after a drone was reported stalking a terrified wild mustang on North Carolina’s northern Outer Banks.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
  • Campbell found the minister on the ground, terrified and in pain.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Definition of terrified
Verb
  • Comcast startled the industry and Wall Street with the split news early Monday, which comes just a few months after NBCU’s cable networks were spun off into a new company, Versant Media.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 June 2026
  • Hyland said he’s been startled by how close the construction barges come to shore.
    — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Definition of startled
Adjective
  • The first police officer on the scene quickly ran back to the station for help, while neighbors calmed the horrified Lizzie.
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of horrified
Verb
  • Brokers say that while some buyers were initially spooked by the tax, the flood of liquidity from recent initial public offerings and soaring wealth from asset prices has outweighed their fears.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 3 July 2026
  • Any browns feeding there are less likely to have been spooked by the commotion.
    — Tom Opre, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
Definition of spooked
Adjective
  • Politico reported on Wednesday that even some key Republicans are alarmed at the supplemental, claiming the administration hadn't provided enough information.
    — Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • The talks unfold amid fresh crossfire over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint the closure of which has fueled a global energy crisis and alarmed allies.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • The exact same thing happened back in 2018 when Hirving Lozano shocked Germany.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • No More Mega Deals In late 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the world by signing the game’s best player, Shohei Ohtani, to a ten-year, $700 million contract.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of shocked

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frightened
frightening
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Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on frightened

Nglish: Translation of frightened for Spanish Speakers

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