as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
I am frightened of the dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in scared
to strike with fear
around the campfire the campers tried to frighten one another with ghostly legends and grisly tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frightened
Mari Yamaguchi,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
We’re intrigued and a little frightened by the Pear Pressure at Gravity Sourdough Pizza, which includes sweet potatoes, goat cheese and maple honey.
—
Peter St Onge,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2026
Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Dolma told me that when the wind turbines were being built, their noise frightened her livestock and carried across the valley, disturbing neighbors during windy times.
—
Sanggay Tashi,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
We’re intrigued and a little frightened by the Pear Pressure at Gravity Sourdough Pizza, which includes sweet potatoes, goat cheese and maple honey.
—
Peter St Onge,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2026
Verb
What frightened me most was what might happen to my children.
—
Monica Rodriguez-Aguilera,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
Dolma told me that when the wind turbines were being built, their noise frightened her livestock and carried across the valley, disturbing neighbors during windy times.
—
Sanggay Tashi,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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The ruling leaves trans student-athletes and their advocates feeling angry and afraid.
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Pregnant mothers are afraid of their babies not being able to have a home.
Verb
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Don’t be scared by his blue eyes.
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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.
Adjective
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Campbell found the minister on the ground, terrified and in pain.
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Videos show terrified residents and collapsed buildings across Venezuela as powerful back-to-back earthquakes struck the northern coast of the country.
Verb
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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.
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Hyland said he’s been startled by how close the construction barges come to shore.
Adjective
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The first police officer on the scene quickly ran back to the station for help, while neighbors calmed the horrified Lizzie.
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As a horrified Sam inadvertently observes, a creature has been sating itself on his buddy’s brain.
Verb
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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.
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Any browns feeding there are less likely to have been spooked by the commotion.
Adjective
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Politico reported on Wednesday that even some key Republicans are alarmed at the supplemental, claiming the administration hadn't provided enough information.
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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.
Verb
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The exact same thing happened back in 2018 when Hirving Lozano shocked Germany.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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