as in afraid
filled with fear or dread
I am frightened of the dark
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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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Recent Examples of frightened
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
The family is frightened, but the soldiers aren’t there to terrorize them.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Financial markets have crashed, consumers are frightened, and deals are paralyzed.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Among the frightened students was 9-year-old Niles Thompson, who, in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, lept from a second-story window.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Adjective
Hearts Melt At Moment 'Shut Down' Foster Dog Decides To Trust New Family
By
Rachael O'Connor
Life and Trends Reporter
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news article
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Animal lovers' hearts have soared at the moment a frightened foster dog chose to trust the family in her new home.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
The family is frightened, but the soldiers aren’t there to terrorize them.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Financial markets have crashed, consumers are frightened, and deals are paralyzed.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025
Among the frightened students was 9-year-old Niles Thompson, who, in a desperate attempt to escape the flames, lept from a second-story window.
—Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frightened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frightened
Adjective
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If you’re seated at a gate where the next flight doesn’t leave for six hours, don’t be afraid to post up and get comfy.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
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Give it up for the queen of not being afraid to reference or not reference (but mostly reference).—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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My Hugo would chase it and bark at it, or he'd be terrified.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Bears should be hoping other teams are scared off by Campbell’s shorter-than-ideal arms.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
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But much of the problem then was that Europeans were simply not scared enough to do their part.—
Barry R. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Adjective
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McCabe, who is in her 50s, has a chronic condition known as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and immediately became alarmed.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2025
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My community is deeply alarmed at the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, city streets and online since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.—
Ari Hart,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Adjective
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Van Hollen added that Abrego Garcia was held in a cell with 25 other people and fearful of other prisoners who taunted him.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
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His family, angry and fearful, even staged an intervention to force the former teetotaler into rehab.—
Gary Goldstein,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frightened. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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