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
But still, seeing Raducanu so clearly frightened and discomfited hits like a ton of bricks. — Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2025 In it, Hanks dons a red MAGA hat and becomes frightened when Black game show host Kenan Thompson approaches him for a friendly handshake. — EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025 As a result, he’s ordered to attend an acting class, where students are instructed how to soften interactions with variously angry, frightened or confused patients. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 Why do so many people love to be frightened and unnerved? — Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
  1. afraid
  2. terrified
  3. scared
  4. spooked
  5. alarmed
  6. shocked
  7. fearful
Adjective
  • While taking your room’s layout and square footage into account, don't be afraid to think outside the box: how can your sitting room function for you?
    — Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Pay attention to your customers, listen closely, and don’t be afraid to test small, strategic changes.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Definition of afraid
Verb
  • The movie sees the revival of arch-villain Feathers McGraw, who terrified kids in 1993’s The Wrong Trousers.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
  • My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.
    — Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of terrified
Adjective
  • As the scream queen, there’s a role that Sam’s character can play, either angry at Paul, fighting back, or super scared.
    — Barry Levitt, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2025
  • TikTok is eating our lunch, and executives are scared.
    — Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of scared
Verb
  • Thus, there’s little sense in getting spooked in the pre-Christmas months; when ad rates are negligible, the cost of doling out any necessary audience deficiency units isn’t exactly going to break the bank.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Some comments under the video show viewers spooked by the scene, weighing in on whether the leg movement was a result of some kind of paranormal intervention or not.
    — Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Definition of spooked
Adjective
  • In the wake of the environmental and women’s movements, citizen activists, mothers of children with birth defects and women with breast cancer became alarmed about the threat of cancer linked to pesticides or industrial pollutants.
    — Amy Lauren Fairchild, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025
  • For others, the reaction may range from being confused, to downright alarmed.
    — Oyku Ilgar, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of alarmed
Verb
  • The Context The incident is the latest in series of high-profile crimes on New York subway trains that have shocked the city.
    — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • And the art world is no different — some artists are using it to help generate work, and others are shocked by its capabilities.
    — Lucy Handley, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of shocked
Adjective
  • The woman, fearful of the threat that the FBI would arrest her, prosecutors say, followed the instructions and liquidated hundreds of thousands of dollars from her retirement savings to buy gold bars and then handed the bars over to the bagmen.
    — Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Related article Putin just called Trump’s bluff on Ukraine, with the Russian art of the ‘no’ deal Indeed, Russia has for years been moving its official funds out of the US, apparently fearful of repercussions over its aggressions in Ukraine and Georgia.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of fearful

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frighten
frightened
frightening
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Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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