frightened

adjective

fright·​ened ˈfrī-tᵊnd How to pronounce frightened (audio)
: feeling fear : made to feel afraid
a badly frightened child
The farmer was hurrying out into the road, and his wife was standing at the gate, looking very frightened.Anna Sewell

Examples of frightened in a Sentence

I am frightened of the dark
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Those who have birthright citizenship, those brought here as children and those who have legally applied for asylum are frightened. Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025 Still, federal aviation officials assured frightened flyers that American airspace is among the safest places in the world to be on a plane. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2025 Church and State During the inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde asked President Trump to have mercy on L.G.B.T.Q. children, undocumented immigrants and others who might be frightened about his return to power. Trish Bendix, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 Bryan Velazquez, a Guatemalan citizen, told BBC News that people traveling are frightened of Trump's new immigration policies. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for frightened 

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of frighten

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frightened was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near frightened

Cite this Entry

“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frightened. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

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